Melody of the Ocean
by Sorrelwing
Summary: On her seventeenth birthday, Melody is given a stone that can turn her from human to mermaid. But she soon discovers that Atlantica is in danger from another kingdom - and their sinister queen who despises both humans and Atlanticans is after Melody. With the help of her cousin, Zafrina, and mermen Finn and Bay, Melody must protect Atlantica and her loved ones - as well as herself.
1. Five years on

_**Hey! For those who don't know me, I'm Sorrel. I tried a Disney fanfiction before, and it didn't go according to plan, so I'm hoping this one while be better. The cover art is my own, and it represents Melody and the story's deutragonist.**_

 _ **I haven't seen the Little Mermaid 2 in a few years; I loved the original, and while I didn't really enjoy the second one as much, it's not bad as Disney sequels go. But I like**_ _ **d Melody - everyone does love the idea of a beloved character having children, so maybe this is why I like her. I was watching the Little Mermaid a few months back, when I remembered the sequel and Melody, and I got an idea.**_

 _ **This story is set when Melody is seventeen, five years after her film. Okay, I hope this goes well - take it away!**_

The waves lapped upon the stone steps, gentle and alluring. A small line of sand and pebble was all that separated the entire waterline from the limestone stairs, since at this moment the tide was starting to come in - and after the last five years, the once-smooth edges were starting to wear down somewhat, after the water and the more frequent use. Around the staircase, sand stretched out on both sides, forming the beach.

Some distance from the palace steps, further up the beach, the sand was golden and perfectly smooth except for some shells and pebbles. The water washed up the shore, moving toward a form in the middle of the beach. A young woman lay on the sand, her eyes closed, as the sun poured across the coast. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail, with a thick, sea-green ribbon - she once had it in a simple green band, but she had decided to give it a change. Melody had been asleep there for some time, but as the incoming tide tickled her toes, she smiled, awoken by the feeling.

Opening her eyes, Melody sat up in a daze, tired and covered in sand. She shook her head to try and shake some off; the sun caught in her raven hair as her ponytail swept back over her shoulder. Melody quickly looked at her ankles, hoping that there wasn't some ridiculous tan line. She had awoken one day last year after sleeping on the beach on a very hot Summer's day; upon return home, Ariel had burst out laughing, while Eric had nearly choked on a piece of bread. Looking in the mirror, Melody had been mortified to see that she had a tanline - white streaks from her hair lying across her face, with the brown lines on the exposed skin. She certainly didn't want a repeat of that.

Melody stretched, before finally standing. Squinting into the sea, she smiled at the sight of a familiar mint-green tail. Zafrina was sitting on a rock, waving enthusiastically, beckoning her over. Running into the waves, Melody dived in, and started swimming strongly toward the mermaid.

"Hey, Mel!" Zafrina greeted, grabbing her arm and pulling her up onto the stone. Melody had learned about her several cousins a few days after the seawall had been brought down - and her six aunts. Aquata, Attina, Andrina, Arista, Adella, and Alana had all had children at some point during the last years. All were married, too - Attina, Andrina and Arista had travelled away to be queens of their husband's kingdoms, although they often visited, while the other three had married commoners.

Melody had met many of her cousins and all of her aunts, too, but Zafrina was her best friend. Alana was her mother, and a darker-skinned merman from a southern, foreign kingdom was her father. As a result, Zafrina was mixed race, as were her sisters, Zoe, Zaidee and Zelda, forming a band of siblings collectively known as the 'Four Z's.'

Zafrina was eighteen, over a year older than Melody, exotic in appearance. Zafrina did have her mother's nose and facial features, but she did take after her father's foreign heritage. With light brown skin, and a soft, curvaceous figure, Zafrina was stunningly beautiful; many a time had Melody seen her be flirted with by some infatuated merboy. She also had, gold-tipped, dark brown hair that reached the bottom of her seashells, and it was styled in its usual messy braid. Out of the water, it was curly, but underwater it lost the curls. She wore mint-green seashells, to match the colour of her long tail.

Melody smiled, pausing to squeeze the seawater out of her hair. She glanced at her reflection, examining herself. She still had a petite structure, the same thick eyebrows, and the ebony black hair that had grown a bit longer since she was twelve – she liked long hair, but it wasn't as long as her mother's, who had retained her waist-length locks despite being over thirty. Her eyelashes had become longer and thicker, and her lips had become a rosy pink. A series of freckles had appeared on her complexion – maybe that was due to fact that the downing of the wall had allowed her to access that little bit more sunlight, and she spent more time under the open sky.

"How's it going, Zafrina?" Melody asked. Zafrina opened her mouth, ready to speak, but somebody interrupted.

"-I'll tell you how it's going!" A red thing scuttled across Melody's lap, making he jump, but then realized it was only Sebastian. "Zafrina, your mother is furious!"

"Oh, man!" Zafrina complained, looking down at Sebastian in annoyance. "So what if I smashed that vase and didn't clean it up? We _swim_ \- it's not like anyone's going to trip over it or step on the pieces..." She winked at Melody. Winking back, Melody stood, and dived into the water, with Zafrina leaping in after her - they soaked the red crab with water, and while he was spitting out water drops, they retreated behind the rock.

"Get back here!" Sebastian scolded, jumping in after the two teenagers, but to him, they were gone. Muttering in irritance, the crab swam his way back toward Atlantica. After he was gone, Melody and Zafrina peered back over the same rock, laughing.

"He always falls for that!" Zafrina laughed. She pulled out the piece of kelp that kept her braid together, before rebraiding, for it always loosened whenever she went swimming. "Anyway. Doesn't someone have a birthday tomorrow?"

"Oh, yes..." Melody groaned. She didn't really like birthdays - getting into fancy and uncomfortable dresses, dancing with some egotistical, pompous prince trying to flirt with her. This year, all she really wanted was to go swimming with her family and merpeople friends.

"Well, in case I don't see you tomorrow..." Zafrina grinned, and reached down into a rock crevice. She produced a large, woven bag, like the cream one Melody used. "Happy seventeenth!" She exclaimed, beaming.

"Really?" Melody asked, in surprise. She took the bag, and pulled it open. "Oh, Zafrina..." A series of beautiful shells caught the sunlight, sparkling - Melody frowned, not recognizing the unique shapes and dazzling colours.

"A gift from the family; me, mom, dad, and my sisters. Sourced from my dad's home kingdom! He took us all there a few weeks ago, since it's been a few years since we all saw his family. It's gorgeous and exotic, including the shells. We all went shell-hunting, since we know how much you love sea souvenirs." Zafrina plucked up a red and pink one. "This one is my favourite. I was so tempted to keep it myself, but then I found this one..." Zafrina held up a long necklace; a twisting, spiky gold and teal shell hung on a long, braided rope. Putting it around her neck, the shell rested a few inches above her belly button. "You like them, then?"

"What do you think?" Melody exclaimed, hugging her cousin. "Thank you - and tell them I said thanks, as well."

"You are most welcome." Zafrina chuckled, before sighing, glancing at the sinking sun. "Sorry, I have to go now. It's getting dark, and I'd better get back before mom loses it about the vase. It'll be fine - stick it back together, put some coral in it, it'll be good as new."

"Good luck sticking it back together." Melody said, pulling the bag of shells closed.

"See ya! I'll try catch you tomorrow." Zafrina then leapt into the sea, and with a flick of her mint-green tail, was gone.

Melody watched the mermaid go - and not for the first time - felt a pang of jealousy. She wanted to see Atlantica again. She remembered seeing it briefly with Tip and Dash; since it was too warm down here for them, the penguin and walrus had returned to the tundra, although they occasionally came down to visit.

Seeing Atlantica in her locket wasn't enough. Melody wanted to see her merfamily properly, wanted to explore the deep corals and crevices that she couldn't reach soon enough before being forced to go to the surface for air. She wanted to watch a blue whale pod hunting krill, miles out to sea, and leap with a dolphin pod. But she couldn't go that far out to the ocean without drowning.

As much as she despised Morgana, she'd give her one thing: turning her into a mermaid had been one of the most spectacular experiences of her life, before it had all gone wrong.


	2. A kelp-wrapped gift

Melody leaned over the balcony, watching the evening sky. A few seagulls sliced across it, with their raucous calls; the ditzy Scuttle called out a 'happy fifteenth birthday' to Melody.

"It's seventeenth!" Melody informed him, but Scuttle was out of earshot. With an amused sigh, Melody took her locket in hand, flipping it open; immediately, the lullaby sounded, and the glowing orb of Atlantica floated in the air before her eyes. She gazed at it, watching the merpeople swimming with longing. _Stop it. What's wrong with me?_ She looked down at her legs, but couldn't help but wonder. _It was red, or orangeish..._ Melody struggled to remember her tail.

Turning away from the balcony, Melody reached for her hairbrush, before once again returning her gaze to the setting sun. She started to brush through her tangled hair, wincing slightly as she pulled through a knot.

She wasn't looking forward to her birthday ball - it was embarrassing, especially after her twelfth birthday. This year, a lot of princes were coming; her parents desperately wanted her to find someone special, because the majority of princesses married at sixteen, as per the tradition. She was seventeen and unmarried; the royal advisory always recommended the traditional marriage-at-sixteen. But Melody didn't want to find anyone, let alone marry yet. She didn't want to move away to some other kingdom, leaving behind her parents, merfolk family and the sea. What if the kingdom was far inland? That sounded unbearable.

With her hair detangled, Melody went to find out what sort of outfit had been laid out this year. Finding it hung over the door handle, she was relieved to see that it wasn't some hideous shade of bright green, like for her fifteenth. Instead, it was a peach-coloured dress, but Melody filled with dread at the sight of the cream heels that went with it. _No, not heels..._ they seemed unusually high. She didn't mind a small heel, but this one was at least three inches, which was where she drew the line.

"Melody!" There was a tap at the door, followed by the turn of the door handle. The door flew open, and Melody could just about see Ariel's face behind the enormous bouquet. Her mother was wearing a blue dress, her hair up in an elegant updo; this year, the plan was for Melody to have an updo as well, for a change. But Melody was more occupied with the vase of elaborate flowers.

She stared in surprise, as Ariel struggled to put the vase of peonies and roses on the messy cabinet. "Mom... what the...?"

"Oh, it's not from us." Eric explained, also struggling into the room with some more flowers. "Your mother's ones were from Prince Thelonious... and these are from Prince Zephyr." Melody continued to stare. _Oh, no. This is humiliating._ This had happened last year, too - as soon she had been old enough to marry, she had been sent extravagant flowers and bejeweled gifts from princes everywhere. Not one had impressed her - sending expensive gifts was like bribery to her. She marry them in exchange for presents? It was as if it was bribing her into marriage.

Eric then left the room, for Ariel often helped Melody get ready. She sat in the chair before the mirror, and watched as Ariel began twisting her hair into a stylish updo. Melody tried to smile, but Ariel must have realized that something was amiss, for her own smile faded. Her mother could always tell when something was wrong. "Melody, are you okay?"

"What do you mean? I'm fine." Melody laughed to prove it, but Ariel didn't buy it. She put down the pot of hair pins.

"Darling, it's your birthday. What's wrong?" Ariel asked, gently. Melody wasn't sure she wanted to tell Ariel about her recurring dreams - as of recent, she kept dreaming she was a mermaid again. Ariel looked outside, where the ocean was lapping against the beach. "You miss it, don't you?" Melody looked up, wide-eyed at the guess, but Ariel was smiling again. "I talk to Alana and my sisters. Zafrina keeps telling her how much you say you miss the deep ocean. I miss it as well, you know."

"Maybe I do... but there's nothing I can do about it, is there?" Melody reminded her, in disappointment. Ariel paused, and glanced toward the pile of unopened gifts, and she spotted the small, kelp-wrapped thing sitting on a letter. Triton had spoken to her and Eric first; it had actually been Aquata who had suggested the idea. Of course Ariel had protested at the suggestion, but Eric had managed to bring her round. If Melody really did miss her time as a mermaid, could this be the solution?

"Melody, maybe you should have a look at the present your grandfather got you -" Ariel began, but then the door opened, to Grimsby.

"Your highnesses, the last guest has arrived. Everyone is here, and your presence is -." The elderly man then glanced to the left, and gasped. He rushed down the corridor, hastily. "No, get that dog off the -" before Grimsby could finish protesting, there was the sound of something smashing, and some barking.

"Oh, dear, we'd better get a move on." Ariel said, stressfully, forgetting the gift. She quickly finished Melody's hair, sticking in a gold tiara. "Hurry, everyone's waiting." She insisted, handing Melody the heeled shoes, before running out of the room. Staring down at them in disdain, Melody struggled into them; immediately, the backs of her feet protested. _A tail would be so much easier._

"Ow." She muttered, walking awkwardly to the door.

 _A few hours later_

Melody stormed into her room, slamming the door hard. Kicking off the ridiculous and painful shoes, she threw them viciously against the wall, where they belonged. She had never been so humiliated in her life. Melody limped to the balcony, the anger raging. _I hate birthdays. I hate parties, I hate princes._

She had practically wobbled throughout the whole evening. A pompous, auburn-haired prince had noticed this, but unfortunately, he was no gentleman. He was one of the princes standing in the corner, sniggering at outfits and boasting about how their castles were better than the one they were in. Melody had tried to ignore their raucous laughter, but then the auburn-haired one had practically dragged her onto the dancefloor; Melody had gone along with dancing at first, but then he had started to step on her painful feet, apologizing in a sweet, heavily fake voice, while his friends pointed and laughed.

This had driven her to boiling point. Melody had angrily started to prize his hands off her waist, when he had let go, making her stagger. A prince from another kingdom had stuck out his leg, and her high shoes had been caught; Melody had gone flying, face-first, into the dining table. Straight into a large bowl of punch. Food had gone everywhere, and she had sat up with a bowl on her head, soaked.

Ariel, Eric and the servants had rushed to help her, while the crowd had roared with laughter. But Melody had gotten up before they could reach her - she had fled the room in tears and anger. There was a lot of shouting downstairs - the princes were probably getting a scolding, but Melody didn't care. She stood there, hands buried in her hair.

"Melo -"

"Go away!" She ordered, but Ariel didn't listen.

"Melody... Prince Simon and Eustace offer their apologies..."

"I don't care." Snapped Melody, bitterly. "Just leave me alone. This is just like my twelfth birthday, all over again - I just want to be on my own!" She heard Ariel's upset sigh, and then her fading footsteps. She dug her nails into the balcony wall, glaring into the blackness. She occasionally saw a flickering tail, either that of a mermaid or a dolphin.

Reminded of that desire, feeling tears welling up in her eyes, Melody angrily ripped off the dress, feeling the familiar shot of anger at the sight of the punch stain. Dropping it and her underclothes onto the floor, she pulled on a nightdress, and swung her legs over the balcony side, hooking her fingers into the climbing plant that grew up the wall. She clambered down, and once she was on the ground, Melody ran down the sand, straight into the water. She surfaced, determined to get away from sight.

She swam straight for a rock, but en route, the nightdress pulled her down, having snagged on a seaplant. Melody swam faster, surging with panic, but then realized her head kept bobbing under the surface, as her nightdress wouldn't let go of the plant. Just as she kicked the dress free, she felt arms grabbing her. Briefly, Melody struggled violently, only to realize that it was a mermaid. "Zafrina!" She coughed, sputtering up some water.

"Honestly, Mel, are you trying to drown yourself?" Zafrina asked, in alarm, steering her back to shore. Melody was relieved to feel sand beneath her feet again, but disappointed as well. "Swimming in the dark? How was the party?" She asked, expecting Melody to be bright; but her eyes widened with surprise at the sight of her cousin's face.

"It was awful!" Melody cried, as she slumped down in the shallows, sitting with the water up to her waist. Zafrina eased herself onto the sand beside her, putting an arm around her.

"What happened?" She asked, worriedly. "Tell your cousin all about it." so Melody poured out the whole story, of wearing uncomfortable shoes - which Zafrina obviously didn't understand - and being tripped into a dining table and a bowl of punch, and being laughed at.

"It's just like my twelfth all over again." Melody sobbed, wiping her eyes, while Zafrina kindly helped to undo the rest of her hair, most of which had been disrupted by the water.

"Oh, Melody." Zafrina sighed, shaking her head.

"I hate it there, Zafrina." Melody said, hugging her knees. "I... I miss the ocean. I miss the reefs, and I really want to see Atlantica properly, but I obviously can't get that far." She opened the locket once again, staring into it. Zafrina paused, remembering what her and Melody's grandfather had decided to do, at Aquata's suggestion. Everyone back home was hopeful that Melody would go through with it.

"Well... maybe you can." She suggested. Melody blinked several times, and looked at Zafrina, with a puzzled expression.

"What? If you're suggesting I -"

"No sea witches." Zafrina promised. "Did you see what Grandfather made you? It was wrapped in kelp."

"No... why?" Melody glanced up to her bedroom balcony, trying to recall such a present.

"Oh, Mel - you have to open it!" Zafrina urged, suddenly looking very excited. "Go on, go get it, I'll be here!" Her eyes danced with joy, and she was grinning. Melody glanced upwards, reluctant to go back; before, with a heavy sigh, she hauled herself out of the water, padding across the sand, before clambering back up the climbing plant. Just as her feet touched the floor, she realized that Ariel and Eric were sitting on her bed.

"Oh... hey." Melody said, awkwardly. "I was just talking to Zafrina..." She looked over the gifts, looking for one wrapped in kelp, before her eyes found it; in her mother's hand.

"Melody, sit down." Eric said. Melody hesitated, reluctant, before she sat down heavily between them. Ariel took her hand, with her free one.

"We're so sorry, Melody." She apologized, looking as mortified as she had when Melody had landed in the bowl of punch. Melody was unsure as to how she would reply, so she said nothing; she sat between her parents, staring at the floor.

"It's fine." Replied Melody, bluntly. "I just want to forget all about it, alright?" she knew she was being blunt, but Melody was in no mood to talk; to her relief, Ariel and Eric seemed to know this, for they both looked at each other, exchanging silent conversation. They knew their daughter didn't appreciate their worries.

"Alright, then." Eric sighed, before glancing at Ariel, and then at Triton's gift in her hand. She looked hesitant at first, but then Ariel shook off her worries, knowing that it was for Melody's own good. She placed the kelp-wrapped gift onto Melody's knee.

"We'll just leave you alone, now. You go and open this on the beach, okay?" To Melody's surprise, Ariel unexpectedly hugged her. "Be safe."

"Okay." Melody said, puzzled by this request. Taking the gift, Melody turned, and climbed out of the balcony. Ariel and Eric watched her go, glancing at each other.

"I hope daddy made the right decision, to give her such a gift." Ariel said, worriedly.

"She'll be fine, Ariel." Eric assured her, kissing his wife on the side of her head. "Don't worry about Melody. This will help her."


	3. Joy, despair elsewhere

Melody sat back down on the beach, and Zafrina edged herself onto the sand beside her, looking excitedly at the gift. Melody frowned down at the small parcel - no wonder she hadn't noticed it before. It was so small, barely filling her palm. Deciding to open the letter first, Melody tore open the seal, and flipped the letter open; to her surprise, it was blank. "Oh." Said Zafrina, frowning. But then there was a flash of light, and an orb appeared, just like how Melody's locket displayed the picture of Atlantica.

Within the orb, Melody saw her and Zafrina's grandfather. Triton was smiling at them through the orb - he didn't notice their greetings; so he must have done this message earlier. "My dear Melody, I apologise for not being able to give this to you in person." Triton began. "But I am away, with business in another kingdom. Therefore, I will tell you this way."

"Here we go!" Zafrina sqeauled, grabbing Melody's arm in excitement.

"First of all, happy birthday." Triton smiled under his white beard. "I know how you refused my offer, five years ago, to become a mermaid - while it was a very mature decision, I know how much you miss the deep sea. Your cousins have told me how much you do." Melody gave Zafrina a half-smile, of amusement, before refocusing on Triton. "Your aunts too have been talking about it, but it was Aquata who suggested this idea - the idea of giving you an opportunity to both visit our world, and your birth world."

"What the..." Melody said, in puzzlement.

"So, I took a stone, and fashioned it into a bracelet - when you turn it in your hand three times, you become a mermaid, and whenever you wish to return to human form, do the same. But Melody, I must warn you." Triton turned serious. "This stone is dangerous in the wrong hands. Since I have made it to work solely for you, anyone who takes it and knows how to work it can harm you terribly. Should you lose it, or if it gets stolen, return immediately to the surface and stay there until it is back in your possession. But if it isn't, I can erase it so no mischief is had. Goodbye, now, and enjoy your birthday." The orb then seeped back into the paper, leaving Melody stunned.

"Zafrina... did grandfather really just..." Melody didn't wait for an answer. She seized the kelp-wrapped gift, swiftly unwrapping it with shaking fingers. Like Triton had said, a stone sat there, but it was extraordinary. It was oval-shaped, perfectly smooth, translucent and red - like ruby, or garnet. The bracelet was made of braided gold, like the braided rope of Zafrina's necklace. Zafrina whistled, admiring it's beauty.

"Grandfather sure can make a gift." She said, admirably.

"Look! There's writing." Melody exclaimed, squinting down. She looked at the stone's smooth surface, and saw, in tiny golden lettering. _Turn me thrice in hand, and you will no longer have legs with which to feel the sand. Turn me thrice thrice in hand, and you'll be a mermaid in water and not a human on land._ _"You'll be a mermaid in water and... not a human on land."_ Melody echoed, in disbelief. There was a long moment of silence.

"What are you waiting for?" Zafrina asked, eagerly. "Mel, this is the coolest thing! You can hang out with my friends, meet Arista's new baby boy... she's visiting from her kingdom, and the baby's the cutest thing. You can see my favourite reefs, etcetera. You have to do it!"

"I don't know what exactly I'm waiting for. I want to do it, but... I can't help but feel guilty for leaving." Melody looked back at the castle. Then she shook herself. She was being silly - her parents obviously knew she was going, for Ariel had told her to be safe. She looked back down at the bracelet, and the stone. "They know I'm going. I think I'll do it."

Zafrina excitedly leapt into the waves, and resurfaced to watch Melody. She looked back at the castle once, before grasping the gold band. Holding that with one hand, Melody turned the stone with the other; the stone could turn within the gold bracelet. On the first time, she felt a slight twitch on her toes. On the second turn, her knees jerked unexpectedly; then Melody turned it the final time, before quickly fastening the bracelet to her wrist before anything wild happened.

Melody gasped. A great tingling spread up, from her toes to her waist, but it was pleasant as if warm water was being poured over her lower body. Then her legs were moving, toward each other - experimenting, Melody tried to move them apart, but they moved against her attempt. Then they merged together, and then they began to expand and change shape, the skin transforming and changing - then Melody could tell it was over. Afraid, she hesitated briefly - but then she forced herself to look down, and all worry was forgotten.

Her legs became a tail with rippling scales, and her feet were now glossy fins. Immediately, Melody remembered her first transformation; if anything, this tail was an even more vibrant colour of red, compared to the tail Morgana had given her. "Woah!" Melody exclaimed, in total awe. "I'm... I'm -"

"Enchanting!" Zafrina cried, looking awe-struck. Her golden eyes were huge. "You're a mermaid, Melody! Oh, wow, how do you feel?"

"Zafrina... I can't believe it!" Melody felt like a child saying it, but she didn't care. "I'm a mermaid again!" She pushed herself into the water, instinctively trying to get a grip on the sand with her feet - but she had a tail again, so that wasn't happening. Floundering her tail, Melody felt the memories come flooding back. Remembering how the tail worked, she pulled herself through the shallows until her tail was in free water. With a joyous cry, Melody plunged into the waves, tearing through the water, breathing it in. At first, she swam a little awkwardly, but then Melody got used to it.

Zafrina followed, laughing, weaving around her. "You look beautiful - wait until they see you! You'll have merboys all over you." Zafrina exclaimed, staring in awe at Melody's crimson tail. "Just wait until we get to Atlantica! The family's going to be thrilled - oh, we have to go, quickly!" She seized Melody's hand, but then Melody stopped.

"Wait."

"What's wrong?" asked Zafrina, looking over her shoulder, impatiently.

"What about this?" Melody pointed to herself, joy subdued. The only thing covering her torso was her long nightdress - not a good look, with her tail.

"Oh! Don't worry, we'll stop off and get you some sea-shells!" Zafrina assured her. Melody was unsure as to whether she had the confidence to done the mermaid seashells. She guessed she'd have to, because she couldn't go around in the nightdress; she'd stick out like a sore thumb. But under her nerves regarding the seashells, Melody was consumed once again by happiness as she looked back at her tail.

Reminded of the disaster that had occurred the last time it had happened, Melody vowed that she wouldn't do anything stupid. She was going to be careful this time.

 _Meanwhile_

Triton aimed his trident, and from it came shooting a golden beam. The merman attacking him darted to the side, dodging the beam, before he turned around, and advanced on Triton once again, with a mocking expression. The elderly merman grunted as the soldier struck him with a sharp coral, the spikes scratching into his arm.

"Father!" Andrina cried, lurching forwards, but a mermaid intercepted, while other merpeople advanced upon Triton - it took a dozen merpeople, but now Triton was overpowered. Andrina whirled upon the mermaid, about to strike with her own weapon,but then she froze. "I know you!" She declared. "Serenity!" But the ginger-haired mermaid didn't seem to hear - nor recognize - Andrina. Her face was blank and didn't register who Andrina was. Instead, she slashed at Andrina's tail with a spear. She cried out in pain, as a red cloud appeared.

"Andrina!" Triton shouted, but more and more soldiers were dragging him down. "Go! Go warn Atlantica!"

"I'm not going to leave you -" Andrina began, but then Serenity lunged at her, driving her away. Triton was weakening; the merpeople attacking him were wrestling the trident from his grasp. But then, with the last of his strength, Triton summoned a burst of energy from the trident, sending his attackers reeling. He drew his arm back, and threw the trident. Andrina caught it, but as she went to help her father, some of the soldiers turned on her. They lunged for the trident.

"Save yourself!" Triton ordered. "Go!" Andrina hesitated, but then fear made her turn. With a shriek of fear, Andrina fled, the trident in hand, with several merpeople pursuing. The rest, however, seized Triton. He struggled in vain against them, as they shoved the once-powerful merman to the seabed. A shadow engulfed him, and the scene became silent. "Please." Triton grunted, through a mouthful of sand, knowing who the shadow belonged to. "Don't do this."

"Oh, I've only just begun." Sneered a cold voice - a female voice. Suddenly Triton began to writhe, as though having a fit. But then his movements slowed, and he turned grey. Slowly, Triton turned to stone. The statue was identical to Atlantica's king - his face was frozen with fear, but in his rock prison, Triton was aware of what was going on. The soldiers retreated, gathering around their queen, as the statue lifted due to some invisible force.

The queen was grey-tailed, and thin, almost emaciated - but she towered over her soldiers. Despite not being that old, she had entirely silver hair - it was very long, down to the waist, kept back with numerous layered braids. Her sallow skin, an ghostly white, was marked by numerous scars. Her eyes were cold and almost black; her face was decorated with purposely-made scars, which were made in sharp designs, pointing and curling around her eyes and cheeks. Perfectly straight scars marked her forehead and chin, and seamud was splattered around and on her eyes.

The queen swam, and the statue went with her. "Come." She ordered, and the merpeople followed obediently. "Imprison him with the others." At her words, some people took the statue, dragging and pushing it from where the queen was making it float with her mind. "Then Atlantica will be ours."

"Yes, Queen Nia." Answered the soldiers - some of their voices were robotic-sounding, as if it wasn't their words. Nia turned away, and in the distance, saw the golden trident disappearing with Andrina. "After her!" She roared, and immediately, all the soldiers rushed to obey. "Find her, and bring her back to me!"


	4. Zafrina's home coral

Melody ducked, as a series of accessories came flying out of the wardrobe. Mermaids didn't have large wardrobes - after all, the only clothing they wore were seashell bras. Alana, Zafrina and her three sisters shared it, and it was only really filled with seashells and hair accessories. "-I'm sure there's _something_ in here that'll fit you." Zafrina fussed. "You're around Zoe's size - she's just a little younger than you are." Zoe was a few months off her seventeenth birthday. Zaidee had turned sixteen a few weeks ago, and Zelda was fifteen. Zafrina was the eldest of course, since she was eighteen. "Let's hope there's a colour that doesn't look too ridiculous against your tail, since my family has blue and purple-orientated tails. You're red. What are you feeling? A matching colour, different colour?"

"I don't mind, but I think a lighter colour would be nice..." Melody gazed around the home. Apparently, they were outside Atlantica. Alana and her husband, Adonis, lived in what Zafrina called a 'cozy coral' - a small hole in the side of a coral reef that hid a wondrous interior. The inside was a spacious chamber, filled with seaplants and mounds of sand for sitting, and conch shells decorating some mounds. Paintings of family members adorned the walls; the walls were colourful with corals, while a few adventurous fish swam in from gaps and the entrance. There with two more tunnels leading away - one to the joint bedroom of Zafrina, Zoe, Zaidee and Zelda, and the other leading to Alana and Adonis's room.

The four sisters shared their bedroom; it was very spacious, with curtains made of seaweed around the individual beds that could be drawn around in case one of the sisters wanted privacy. The beds were mounds of sand, covered with woven pillows and blankets of a strange yet soft material. The sisters were so different from one another, personality wise, but it was clear they had one thing in common: the bedroom was a disaster zone.

The beds were unmade, and possessions littered the floor. The dressing tables, one for each sister including a mirror each, were covered in makeup stains and empty, as well as currently used, makeup. Alana, being the beauty specialist, had clearly helped out her daughters - jars of colourful hair and face masks were here and there, with her swirly writing indicating the ingredients.

"Do any of these work?" Melody asked, in curiosity, picking up one that had found its way onto the floor.

"Yes!" Zafrina said, cheerfully, over her shoulder. "That one is a sea salt, water and sand scrub - it really smooths the skin. That grey one is sea mud, really great for preventing impurities, that lilac one has plankton extract which clears out your pores..."

Fascinated, Melody went over to the dresser. She sat down, picking up the lilac jar in interest, before she spotted a colourful collection of lipsticks - reds, purples, pinks, nudes, and every other lipstick colour she could think of. "Do you use lipstick?"

"Yes! I love this one." Zafrina abandoned the wardrobe, coming over to pick up a rich plum-colour. She leaned over to the mirror, applying it to her full lips. "Zoe uses a dark berry red. Zaidee loves a pink, and Zelda goes for a hint of orange. I'm all about the dark purple. Feel free to try some colours!"

Zafrina then returned to searching the wardrobe, leaving Melody to experiment. She was disappointed to see that a lavender purple she liked didn't really look good against her skin, and she was unsatisfied with the nude colours, which didn't make much difference. Just as she tried a crimson, Zafrina exclaimed. "I think I've found your match!"

"Really?" Melody asked, turning. Zafrina had a peach-pink set of sea-shells; a soft colour that Melody immediately liked. "Oh... I like that colour." She swam over, taking them, before pulling the seaweed curtain across so she could change. Pulling the dress over her head, Melody dropped it onto the floor, before putting on the seashells. Ensuring that she had them on right, Melody drew back the curtain. "What do you think?" She asked.

"Perfect! Comfortable?" Zafrina asked. Melody went over to the mirror, examining the look. _This feels... natural._ She thought she'd be embarrassed to show off her torso, but it felt surprisingly comfortable.

"Who's is it?"

"That's Zoe's. Don't worry, she won't mind you having them - she's never worn them, and it doesn't suit her tail colour." That was certainly true. Zoe had a dark purple tail, which didn't go entirely well with a peach-pink bra. Zafrina then began to stuff some of the former wardrobe contents back where they belonged.

"Thank you." Said Melody, brightly, now. "So... where is everyone?"

"Well, mom and our aunts are in Atlantica; our younger cousins are there, but all the ones around our age have all gone out to various places for the night, as always. My sisters are at some music club right now, and dad went back to his kingdom for a few weeks; something about his late great-grandmother's will. Grandfather and aunt Andrina went to investigate something - we're not sure how long they'll be, but Andrina's kids are here, since it's too dangerous for them. Andrina insisted on accompanying him."

"Oh? What happened?" Melody turned in curiosity.

"Oh, it's nothing really. It's just a few merpeople from Atlantica are going missing. Around four have disappeared so far - reports are that they've been spotted around that Queen Nia's place."

"Queen Nia?"

"Yes... or as I call her, the seacow." Zafrina muttered it with scorn. Melody couldn't help but laugh.

"The seacow?" Melody giggled - that was a smart nickname. The suffix insult and a synonym for a genuine sea animal.

"That old hag is like a seawitch, but she's a mermaid. She moves things with her mind, she fiddles with magic, and some of her people are a bit... odd." Zafrina looked uncomfortable.

"How so?"

"They... a few of them... act weird. Stare straight ahead, don't react for a while - then they go nuts. They attack you for no apparent reason, and they all have black eyes, too. And everyone else is just... just awful." Zafrina shivered. "She rules with an iron fist - Nia's very cruel, very greedy. She's not like Ursula or Morgana - she doesn't want control over the oceans. She just wants power over all the _merpeople_ , and by that logic, all the sea kingdoms. She also hates humans - kills every one she encounters." Melody stared at Zafrina in alarm. "Don't worry! It's very rare she encounters a human anyhow, since she avoids the surface. It's all over-the-top, she's nothing to worry about. There's no way she'll get here - grandfather says our army is too strong." Zafrina sounded so sure, so confident, and this assured her.

"Well, if you're sure." Melody nodded, thoughts of this mysterious 'Queen Nia' leaving her mind. "Now, are you going to show me Atlantica, or what?" On the way out, they passed a vase. "Oh - is that the one you smashed?" She asked, noticing how it looked a little odd.

"Yes." Zafrina laughed, nervously. "I did fix it, but mom hasn't seen how badly a job I did." That was true. Some of the pieces of the broken jigsaw didn't quite fit into place, and the cracks were very obvious. "She won't mind, will she? It is over seventy years old, but still..."

"No, not all." Melody said, with playful sarcasm.

 _Later_

Melody looked at the place in utter awe. Her locket showed her an impressive image of Atlantica, but her eyes showed an even better one. The golden palace glistened before her eyes. Seaweed waved from the current, shells and corals dotted the ground, and her breath caught when she saw dozens of merpeople. Swimming from seemingly out of nowhere, their glittering tails flicking. Sea creatures swam here and there, dolphins, fish, squids - and a crab sat on a rock, waiting.

"Sebastian! Hi!" Zafrina greeted. "Look who's here!"

"Melody!" Sebastian exclaimed. "Your grandfather told me you may be coming. And you look as beautiful as your mother."

"Thank you, Sebastian." Melody smiled, looking around. "It feels good to be here."

"Do you have the stone?" Sebastian asked. When Melody showed him the bracelet, Sebastian became stern, as usual. "I must stress the importance of you not losing it, or letting anyone else get a hold of it! That is the most valuable and dangerous gift you'll ever get."

"Don't worry, Sebastian!" Melody scooped the crab up into her palms, relaxed. "I won't. It won't leave my wrist, promise. Besides, why would anyone want to hurt me?"

"Child, you must be careful, after -"

"After Morgana? She's still in a block of ice, if she hasn't frozen to death or died of old age yet. Don't worry about it." Sebastian looked unconvinced, but sighed, giving up. He swam up, hopping onto her shoulder.

"At least give me a lift to the palace. While your grandfather is away, Aquata is in charge, and she wants a word with me." Laughing, Melody nodded at the request, and followed Zafrina to the palace.


	5. Nightfall

Melody cautiously held the baby boy, nervous she would drop him or hurt him. He wriggled a little in her arms, and she couldn't help but feel trepidation. "Relax, Melody." Arista said, with an assuring smile. Her aunt sat on a clam-styled seat, a few feet away, watching them closely and calmly. "Murphy's quite hardy." Melody had never held a baby before, let alone a merbaby. It felt strange, since he had a tail - she was used to seeing babies with legs and feet. Merbabies as young as Murphy were too vulnerable to go to the surface; they had to wait until they were a little older to understand the dangers of it. She had never seen one until now.

Murphy was just like Arista - the big ice-blue eyes, and the blonde hair, except his tail was green, which Arista said was from his father. He was very young, only a few months old - he looked so innocent, so fragile. When Arista had travelled here, she had been accompanied by some guards from her kingdom - she was a queen, and Murphy was a baby prince, afterall.

Murphy blinked trustingly, gazing up at her, and Zafrina, who was looking over her shoulder. "He's so cute, Arista." Zafrina cooed over the baby. "He seems to like you, Melody. He cried the first time I held him."

"That doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't like you." Arista said, with a laugh. "He was a little cranky that time; I mean, I had taken him on a three-day journey to get here."

"Did you carry him the whole way?" Melody asked, glancing up at her aunt.

"Yes - I carried him in his sling." It there that Melody noticed the blue fabric sling, over Arista's shoulder, crossing her body so that Murphy would be on her chest. "My shoulder was killing me, though, after it. He's a heavy merbaby."

"He'll be a handsome merman when he grows up, though." Adella said, swimming into the room. Holding onto her tail were her four-year old, twin boys, near-identical except for a difference in eye colour; the hazel-eyed being Seth, and the brown-eyed being Jamorian. "Hello, Melody. How are you finding Atlantica?" The twins played briefly, before swimming out of the room in giggles.

When dropping off Sebastian, Melody had briefly spoken to Aquata. But as her aunt had been in the middle of an important discussion, it hadn't lasted long. Aquata had been the only volunteer of her sisters to rule in Triton's place while he was away, for the other sisters weren't interested in the job. She was doing a good job so far. As Adella and Arista began to chat, Melody leaned over to Zafrina, remembering their earlier conversation.

"So, if Andrina lives in another kingdom with her husband and their kids... how come she's investigating this Nia business with grandfather?" She asked.

"Because people have gone missing from her kingdom as well." Zafrina said. "Her kids are here, because she doesn't think they're safe over there at the moment - other than parents, we're their only living family, so she thinks this is better. Her hubby wasn't happy, but he only let Andrina go through with it because it made her upset. Honestly, it's nothing to worry about - we're worrying about nothing, it's probably just a hold-up."

Suddenly, unexpectedly, Murphy began bawling in Melody's arms. She jumped in surprise, holding him at arm's length. Arista sighed. "Oh, Murphy..." She took him off Melody, and started rocking him in her arms. Murphy's cries seemed to subdue, but he still kept wailing. "I'll take him on a little swim; he always loves that." Putting him into the blue sling on her chest, Arista stroked his blonde curls, slowly swimming outside to calm him down. Adella went to speak to Melody and Zafrina, but then she heard something breaking; the twins were heard outside.

"Seth! Jamorian! What have you broken now?" She left the room, slightly annoyed, as the sound of toddler laughter sounded in the corridor.

"Wow." Said Zafrina, laughing. "Kids, huh? Anyway, what do you want to do, now? Visit the city? Find my mom's beauty shop? But then we can do that any time... hold up." Zafrina snapped her fingers. "I know. I've got some club - there's music, dancing, and cute guys. My friends are there tonight. You'd love it."

"Oh, I... I don't dance. Not after yesterday." Melody smiled apologetically.

"You don't have to dance. Just talk and listen to the music. Come on, please? I promise you'll love it." Zafrina looked at her with pleading eyes. Melody was unsure as to whether she would, but then, what else did she have to lose?

"Well... I suppose."

 _Later_

Night had fallen. Silver moonrays sliced through the water, illuminating the cliffs and reefs, spraying long, black shadows across the seafloor. Sharks stalked the coral, making the reefs seem even more eerie, as they searched for injured sea creatures to capture in their jaws. A few long shadows moved across the coral, for above, some merpeople swam, which the sharks ignored.

These mermen were a large group, too large for the sharks to attack. They were laughing in raucous voices, making inappropriate jokes and bragging about various things. Each of them carried a spear, although the merman at the rear was unarmed - and not joining in the conversation. He didn't see the need to bring a weapon to a club; the others were only bringing spears to show off to mermaids.

"Hey! Flap your fins faster, Finn!" Barked one of his companions; the others laughed. Finn's name was a recurring joke, since he literally had the fins to go with his name.

"Very funny, guys. Real mature." Muttered Finn. He didn't know why he was going with them to this club. He didn't even like these idiots - they didn't appreciate him, either.

"Can't take a joke, Finn." Snickered one, named an twenty-year-old named Otan. He was heavily muscled, although he had probably made some deal with a seawitch to get such a body. Too bad his looks hadn't been a part of the deal - he had a bulbous nose, a pinched look about his face, and a permanently mocking expression that wouldn't impress or attract a mermaid. "Or as your mommy used to call you - _Finnley."_ This struck a nerve. Finn whirled around, hairs rising on the back of his neck. Otan laughed. "That's right. How'd she die?" Finn stared at Otan, who grinned. "Like this?" He faked stabbing himself with an invisible knife; he faked death by sticking out his toungue and closing his eyes. "Or this?" He ran his finger across his throat, as if it was being slit.

"That's enough..." a sixteen-year old said, nervously, but this was ignored. The others goaded Otan on with laughter. Encouraged, Otan continued to laugh and mock.

"Or maybe -" but Otan wasn't allowed to finish this time. Finn, infuriated by the grin on Otan's face, seized him by the necklace, yanking him close, before he punched the older merman. The others gasped, springing away to avoid the fray. Finn shoved him away in disgust. Otan let out a yell, and recoiled, hands covering his nose.

"Finished?" Finn asked, through clenched teeth. A red cloud floated up from Otan's nose, and a bruise was already blooming on his face, dark and purple. Below, a shark seemed to detect the blood, for it's powerful head swung upwards, it's onyx eyes fixed on the group of mermen; it was tempted to attack, but then thought better. The others hung away from Finn and Otan, fearful of how the latter would react - and if Finn would do anything else.

"You idiot!" Hissed Otan, eyes blazing with outrage. He clutched his nose; it seemed more off-center than before. "You'll pay for that, Finnley. You can't take a joke."

"Well, you take a joke too far." Finn retorted. Shoving him in the chest, Finn swam angrily in the direction of their destination. Closing his nostrils to stop anymore blood attracting more sharks, Otan simmered in anger, swimming past him, slapping him purposely with his tail as he went. Finn willed himself not to respond, clenching his jaw, and he drifted to the back of the group once again.


	6. Smoldering eyes

_So this is what an underwater club is like._ Melody kept forgetting that she was a princess, as she followed Zafrina. They were both princesses, but they were treated so normally. Back at home, she had always been sick of the formality of things – everyone she approached would bow and call her 'your highness' – here, nobody knew who she even was, let alone her status, but even if they had, they wouldn't bother with the formality. She could actually talk to these merpeople without being afraid of saying or doing something wrong, or 'not royal'. Greetings were a simple 'hi' and a smile.

She felt so mature, wearing a bright pink lipstick; it had a subtle hint of purple which she really liked. Zafrina, wearing her usually plum colour, lead her through the crowd. Zafrina obviously knew a lot of people here - almost everyone they passed greeted her. No-one recognised Melody, and the case was mutual. She knew nobody.

Melody held onto her wrist, so to conceal the ruby-and-gold bracelet. Did she trust anyone here? She didn't want to risk it falling off, rolling across the floor; if that happened, would she be reverted back, or did it only work when held? What if someone picked it up, and turned it so to admire it? They were in an underwater cave. She'd never get to the surface in time. Ensuring that the bracelet was on securely, she hesitantly let go. _You're being paranoid._

At the entrance, they had been confronted by a guard - he had asked if they had any weapons on them. Of course they didn't, and he had allowed them to pass. After a nasty incident a few years ago with a dagger, all weapons had to be handed in, and returned once they left the cave. That incident had occurred between two quarrelling groups from separate kingdoms, of whom had been at war at the time. It had not ended well, apparently. This cave was on the edge of Atlantica. Not inside the border, but outside; it was open to anybody from anywhere. This meant that anyone from quarrelling kingdoms could get into a fight, should they recognize each other.

"I hope there's no-one from Nia's kingdom here. They're all creepy." Zafrina whispered, before resuming to her usual happy mood. "What'dya think of this place? It's pretty neat."

Melody thought that 'neat' was an understatement. This place was incredible. Dozens of teenaged merpeople surrounded them, chatting or dancing. She had seen a few around Atlantica, but all the others had to be from other kingdoms. Some had tattoos, which was a rarity in Atlantica, and others had bracelets with their kingdom symbols.

"Hey! Zafrina!" A group of merpeople headed their way, a mixture of mermen and mermaids.

"Hi guys!" Zafrina, distracted, strayed from Melody, who went to follow; a large group passed between them. Out of politeness, Melody let them all pass, but once the path was clear, she realized she couldn't see Zafrina.

"Zafrina?" She looked around, trying to spot her; Zafrina had disappeared. _Oh, jumping jellyfish._ Melody bit her lip, realizing how vulnerable she felt, without Zafrina there. She had never been without Zafrina since her transformation; she stuck out like a sore fin, on her own. Melody thought she saw Zafrina's hair, and made her way forward.

But then there was a dreadful sound of banging piano keys, making a few merpeople shriek in surprise. Melody whirled around, heart thudding at the noise. The octopus who had been playing was recoiling in anger, as a group of newcomers made their presence known. The piano was right next to the entrance, and now hisses and mutters spread at the sight of the newcomers.

They were big and intimidating. The leader, with scraggly, dull blonde hair, was tall and too heavily muscled to surely be natural. Maybe he'd made a deal with a seawitch. Maybe he traded his looks for muscle, because he was ugly. With a bruised face, huge nose and brown tail, he was an absolute eyesore, with small, mean eyes. Tattoos marked his chest, and deliberate scars in decorative patterns curled around his eyes. Melody felt a trace of fear, as well as disapproval. _What exactly does he see when he looks in the mirror?_

Melody then realized that he was looking at the mermaids, and his eyes were coming her way. She tried to duck behind someone, but she moved too slow. The leader's dark irises found her, scorching, making her freeze. His unsettling eyes moved up and down her body, focusing around her slim waistline and chest; disgusted, she snapped out of her trance, retreating through the crowd to shield herself from his frightening stare. The others were disturbingly similar, grinning and winking at mermaids, who glared back in disgust, unimpressed. One hung at the back, head down, not looking at anybody; he disappeared into the crowd, who hissed in an unfriendly manner.

The uncomfortable looking band resumed the music, but everyone was staring daggers at the mermen who had just entered. Melody tried to identify a tattoo on one of the group members; it was a kingdom emblem, but she couldn't identify it. To her discomfort, the mermen strode confidently into the crowd. To avoid them, she swam to the right, hugging the shadows to stay out of their vision. Her heart jolted with relief, as she spotted a mint-green tail - it had to be Zafrina. Impulsively, she charged forwards. But then a tattooed chest blocked her. Slowly, she looked up; to her horror, it was the muscled leader of the newcomers, who had creeped her out. "Excuse me," she muttered, but he didn't move.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing in here, all on your own?" His voice had a brittle, nasty quality; she didn't like the way he said 'pretty', either. Melody attempted to swim around him, but he mimicked her movement, blocking her again.

"I'm not on my own." Melody insisted, pushing against him, but then his hand dug into her waist, making her stiffen. He flashed his crooked yellow teeth; she was sure she smelt his breath. She refused to make eye-contact.

"What's the matter, gorgeous? Too shy to talk to a handsome guy?" Melody was uncomfortable, and increasingly afraid. She pushed at him again, but his grip seemed to only tighten. He looked as though he was enjoying her discomfort.

"Get your fish hooks off me." She muttered, through clenched teeth, but then someone shoved against her, between them.

"You heard my cousin, freak. Let go." Melody had never been so relieved to hear Zafrina's voice. Immediately, his grip loosened, for his eyes were now on Zafrina. Her golden eyes flashed, and she pulled up her seashell bra to provide more cover, obviously as uncomfortable as Melody had been, when the merman had looked at her.

"Woah. No-one told me seaflowers grew in here - I just picked the prettiest one." He said, admirably.

"Spare the cliched pick up lines. Do you know who you're talking to? We're the granddaughters of Triton, creep!" At this statement, several merpeople turned, eyes wide with awe on Zafrina and Melody. The bulky merman's eyes flashed with fear, but he quickly concealed it.

"Oh, yeah? How did such a wrinkled old squid give your mothers' genes to produce seaflowers like you?" The merpeople around them went eerily silent, at such an insult. Melody felt a hot flash of outrage, but Zafrina delivered a swift comeback.

"Where did you get the muscles from? A seawitch, or the seacow that it your queen?" Zafrina asked, fearlessly. "Too bad looks weren't part of the deal, or was that the trade?" The crowd roared with laughter, and Zafrina grinned, satisfied that she had embarrassed him. The merman looked outraged, and his face turned scarlet. He turned, and shoved through the crowd, muttering to himself. "You'll regret this, Atlantican. _Granddaughters of Triton."_ He said it with pure disgust.

As soon as he was gone, Zafrina whirled Melody round. "Are you okay?" She asked, frantically, all courage gone. Melody realized that she was trembling in fear, at the memory of his claw-like, ragged nails on her waist.

"Thank you." Melody threw her arms around Zafrina, flinching at the thought of the ugly merman's vile breath, and unfriendly eyes. "He just came out of nowhere."

"He's from Nia's kingdom!" Zafrina whispered, in a high-pitched voice. Suddenly she looked outraged. "The savage, who does he think he is, parading in here, grabbing innocent mermaids! I'm going to talk to the club owner; he needs to be thrown out, before he tries to harass some other girl."

"You go ahead, I'll just... go to the side." Melody watched as Zafrina turned away, before she raced to the shadows of the cave wall, breathing rapidly. On the way, however, she crashed into a torso. For a moment, she was afraid that it was the creepy waist-grabber; but then she realized that it was tattoo-free.

Melody looked up, blinking. He was lean and lanky, not too heavily muscled, but well-built. He had matching tattoos on his upper arms, simple, black, twisting lines. His intelligent eyes were a dark, intense sea-green, and he was olive-skinned, with a navy tail. His thick hair was a dark brown, long enough to reach the bottom of his neck; even underwater she could tell that it was numerous and wavy.

Finn couldn't help but stare at her. She was slender and petite, with full, pink lips; her eyes, a lovely shade of blue, were wide, framed by sooty lashes any mermaid would envy. Her raven black hair caught a shaft of moonlight that drifted in from the hole in the cave ceiling. A pretty, braided gold bracelet curled around her wrist, with a ruby-like stone that matched her tail. A locket inscribed with 'Melody' hung around her neck. He had not witnessed her uncomfortable encounter with Otan.

"Sorry." She said, breathlessly, half from the fear of what had happened prior, and half at the smoldering, sea-green of his eyes.

"No, no... m-my fault." What was wrong with him? Finn shook himself, correcting the stammer. "It was my fault, sorry." Another silence. The mermaid blinked at him. "I've never seen you here before." _Stupid. You've never been here yourself._ Finn scolded himself. Melody paused, wondering how to react. _Should I tell him my name?_

"I -" but before she could answer, Zafrina barged between them.

"What the hell is your problem?" She spat, with hostility, at Finn. He blinked in surprise, backing away from the fierce interruption. "What is it with you lot, preying on mermaids? Melody, we're leaving. This place is terrible."

"Zafrina!" Melody protested, as her cousin dragged her away. "He wasn't -"

"He's from there!" She indicated toward the merman who had harassed Melody a few minutes before, Otan. "He came in with them. He's from Nia's kingdom as well!" Melody looked back at the merboy, in shock. Of course; he had been the one at the back, the one who had gone into the crowd to escape his companions.

"But..." Finn stared after them. "I... I'm not..." The darker-skinned mermaid had already disappeared with the ebony-haired girl. He couldn't finish his sentence, for suddenly, hands seized him. "What the - what are you doing?" He asked, startled, as two burly guards steered him toward the entrance, where his companions were also being led out. He struggled to be free, not knowing what he did wrong, but then he remembered who he had arrived here with. They were also being dragged out, and the one in front was Otan.

"The girl was lying!" Otan shouted, in protest, angrily shoving at his restrainers. "I wouldn't touch that mermaid, it was a misunderstanding! How dare you, I could get you killed for throwing us out!"

"You're not welcome here!" Snarled one of the guards. "You and your freak-show friends, get back to your queen! And don't come back!" Finn was dragged after them, and once out of the cave, thrown onto the sand, after his companions. He groaned, slowly picking himself up. The others hissed amung themselves, in frustration, getting up and blaming each other. Their spears were tossed out after them, clattering across the rocks. Finn dusted some sand off his arms, angrily looking at the others.

"Why did I bother coming?" He snapped. Several of them turned around. "I'm not doing this again. I'm out of here."

"Hey, we have to report to Nia." Snapped one. "The entire patrol is expected to -"

"Forget it. Go without me." Finn said, bitterly, before storming off in the opposite direction.

A few metres away, Melody peered out from behind a rock, watching the group of mermen. Zafrina pulled at her arm. "What's wrong with you, Melody? Let's go before they spot us." Melody didn't know what was wrong with her. She just couldn't keep her eyes off the young merman she had bumped into. "He's from Nia's kingdom. They're all evil, we have to go..."

"I... fine." Melody allowed herself to be pulled away, but she kept glancing back. She bit her lip, wondering what was wrong with her.


	7. Shark attack

Nia watched the glass pool, searching for Andrina. She could see the location of anyone, provided she had a 'sample' of them; blood, a tail scale, a lock of hair; but since the blood was so diluted by seawater when it had been collected, the vision was blurry. She could barely see Andrina - just a pink, wriggling blur, like a worm. But she could tell by the slow movements that she was tired, and injured. Did she have the trident? It was too blurry to tell.

Despite her hate for Triton's family, she had to admit it - Andrina was proving elusive, despite being injured. Dozens of merpeople, with the best trackers in their kingdom, were struggling to find her. Surely carrying the heavy trident would make her easy to capture? She would be slowed down by it's weight. Nia suddenly cursed under her breath, as the picture of Andrina faded. The last of the blood had been used up - if she looked at a sample too much, it would be rendered useless. Now, it was clear that the blood could provide no more.

"Queen Nia." The glass surface rippled, and one of her soldiers appeared. Otan was her best soldier, and his kill record was large. He didn't have the brains or speed, but he was strong, and skilled in battle. Nia personally thought that the younger merman, eighteen-year-old Finn, was better. He was smart, agile, and a skilled fighter, she had once considered training him into her personal assassin.

"Speak, Otan." She said, waving an arm over the glass.

"We went to a club last night, and while there, we got thrown out." Otan's eyes flashed with rage.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Asked Nia, irritably, briefly thinking it to be one of his pointless messages, where he complained about living arrangements at posts.

"I have some information. I met two mermaids - both granddaughters of Triton." This peaked Nia's interest. She leaned forward. "I knew one. We believe that she was Zafrina, of the so-called 'Four Zs', the daughters of Alana. But... the other was bizarre."

"How so?"

"You've recorded all of Triton's grandchildren. I've seen them all. But this one was not on the records. Black hair, pale, red tail, blue eyes, and a shell necklace inscribed with 'Melody'." Otan looked as puzzled as Nia felt. She frowned, and then she extended a hand toward the large bookcase. The book moved through the air, and floated into her hands. Nia moved the pages with her eyes, scanning through the 'grandchildren' section. No grandchild of Triton matched Otan's description.

"Do you think the word on her necklace was her actual name?" Asked Nia, not taking her eyes off the book.

"It's a possibility. Having 'Melody' on it would seem pretty pointless, otherwise. She did bear some resemblance to... the human." Nia immediately felt resent at the very word.

"Human." She snarled, in anger. "That's impossible..." She flicked the book to Ariel's section. The children section was empty. "If she had a daughter, it would surely be... if the child was human, she'd be difficult to discover..."

"Triton turned Ariel into a human. Who's to say he couldn't do the opposite, for his granddaughter?" Otan said, darkly. "I got a lock of her hair. It's on it's way to you, on a marlin." Nia stared into the glass pool, before slashing an arm over the glass, making Otan disappear. She stormed outside, where dozens of statues lined the corridor. She swarmed up to the newest one.

"If you've turned your granddaughter into a mermaid, I'll find out. A demon in a false body!" Nia spat, in fury. She hissed at Triton's stone face. "No human will live under my ocean!"

 _Meanwhile_

Melody turned over, closing her eyes. As comfortable as the bed was, she just couldn't drift off. Zafrina slept a few feet away, and Zoe, Zaidee and Zelda were gently snoring in their beds. Melody had been given accommodation, which she was grateful for; but she had hardly slept. She was still disturbed by the events of last night, but she was also worried about Zafrina's behaviour. Melody had been acting frostily at her since, angry at how she had judged the merboy. _I've forgotten his name._

It had been two days since the disastrous club outing, and Melody had remembered those eyes. The dark sea-green. Why had Zafrina been so hasty in getting her away from him, when he hadn't done anything wrong? Was the reputation of Nia's people that bad? _They're all savages? So what if he's from Nia's kingdom. They can't all be evil._ Melody was getting curiouser and curiouser about Nia. Nobody, however, would tell her anything. She was wrapped in cotton wool - she was getting sick of how protective everyone was of her.

Melody sighed, and got up. She swam up and out, through the hatch in the bedroom ceiling, emerging from the coral reef. Fish and crustaceans who had been resting swam up in a great flurry, like a multi-coloured snowstorm, at the sudden appearance of the mermaid. She was briefly tempted to head to Atlantica, to explore on her own for once, but then she glanced upwards. She hadn't been to the surface since her transformation - maybe some fresh air was what she needed.

Melody swam to the surface, and broke it. She inhaled deeply, and twisted, floating on her back. She swam backwards a few feet, before she heard the water hitting against something. Glancing back, Melody saw a smooth, flat rock, and took the opportunity to sit. She twisted her hair, squeezing out the excess water.

It was rather misty, and Melody wasn't sure what the exact time was - it was probably quite early, but she couldn't see the sun or sky, since it was all grey. She remembered the myths Ariel used to tell her when she was little, about mermaids singing and luring sailors to their deaths - Ariel had told her that merpeople did no such thing, however, and Melody had obviously found out why. She could imagine a sailor-luring mermaid singing in the mist.

Down below, Finn peered around the rock, watching the shark as it swung it's great head from side to side. The beast lumbered through the water, struggling from the gouge on it's neck, searching for him. He shrunk into a crevice in a cliff, watching the shark come closer; for a couple of moments, it paused, before giving up and swimming away. He breathed a sigh of relief, slumping down.

The post was in such a shark-invested area. They'd lost two merpeople since setting their base here, and now the sharks seemed to know where they were staying, for there seemed to be one lurking outside the cave each morning. Finn wasn't supposed to be out here, alone - but he'd rather be out here than stuck in the cave, listening to Nia's instructions.

Nia had sent Finn and his group out on the treacherous journey from their home to Atlantica, to listen for information on the palace, and to make a map of the kingdom. This would make Nia's goal of conquer easy to achieve, but she had already promised that she had the perfect army. Finn had no idea as to why she was so confident - Atlantica was a legend back home, legendary for being impossible to conquer.

Finn was relieved that Otan had left the post - he had decided to venture into the unclaimed territory between their kingdom and Triton's, to 'gather recruits'. Otan was a bully, and Finn had felt such satisfaction from punching him last night. But now he was starting to regret it. Otan had a high degree of power, being the kingdom's 'best soldier' - what if he got Finn into trouble?

Despite his status, Otan was mocked as a 'cry merbaby' - he acted all tough, but he was ultimately a wimp who raced off crying to his mother whenever someone got the better of him. Maybe that was why he'd left the post. Maybe Finn punching him had driven Otan to race back home. _Too bad._

Finn cautiously emerged from the crevice, looking to the sides, making sure that the shark was gone. The huge creature's tail disappeared from sight, around the cliff corner. If he swam quickly, he should be able to get a safe distance away. Glancing upwards, Finn spotted a column breaching the surface. If he sat on the rock, out of the water for a little while, the coast would be clear. Glancing about, Finn rapidly swam towards the surface, making a beeline for the rock. But as he broke it, his fins slapped frantically on the water, for he was startled to see the girl from the club. He knew it was her - the red tail, the ebony hair.

Melody whirled around in surprise, jolting at the sound of splashing water. She put her hand over her heart, relieved to see that it was just a merman. _Not just any merman..._ Melody then recognized who it was. The one she'd met last night. He blinked once, before he dived back into the water, frantically waving his tail fins. "Hey, wait!" She protested, diving after him; she cursed under her breath as her tail caught on something, and she felt something cut into it. Glancing up briefly, Melody saw a thin trial of blood, but dismissed it, only more determined to follow the merman.

She raced down toward the sea floor, following his navy tail. "Wait!" She cried, trying to catch up. "Please, don't -" but then she saw something out of the corner of her eye, making her freeze. A large, silver creature loomed, staring at her with still black eyes, like round onyx. The shark's teeth glistened in the sunlight streaming down from the surface, and it's skin reflected it. It's nostrils twitched violently, and Melody remembered cutting her tail. Sharks had the most powerful sense of smell in the ocean.

Below, Finn looked over his shoulder, before he stopped. The same shark who had pursued him earlier had the girl frozen in terror, it's jaws hanging open, displaying rows of teeth. Finn would have usually fled, but this time, he couldn't leave the mermaid to face it. His hand moved to the seaweed around his waist, where his dagger was tied. Then the shark raced forward with a snarl, with outstretched jaws. The mermaid shrieked in fear, covering her face, expecting her doom.

Finn rushed upwards, knife in hand. He intercepted the shark, slashing at its nose. The shark recoiled, with a grunt; it's black eyes focused on him. "Swim!" He urged, but the mermaid was too frightened to flee, for the scent of blood - from both her tail and the shark - had attracted another great white. It lurked below, it's eyes sinister and glinting. By now, the original shark, recovering, lunged for Finn. He ducked its attack, slashing with the dagger once again, before he seized the mermaid by the arm, swimming frantically for the seafloor. Behind them, there were two roars as the sharks leapt into pursuit, snapping at the merpeople's tails.

Finn went straight for the gap in the sea cliff, the one he had hidden in before. He swam into the crevice, and went as far back as they would both fit. He pushed the mermaid right to the back, before whirling around. One of the shark's heads poked into the gap, it's hungry expression fixed on the two merpeople. Finn backed up, arms stretched to the walls, to shield the girl. She clung onto his arms, terrified, as the shark attempted to reach them, teeth snapping. It's huge head could not fit, but it tried regardless, shoving it's face at every which angle to try and reach further.

The other shark stuck it's nose in, but the first one angrily snapped, whirling around and slashing at it's companion. In retaliation, the other shark snapped back, before they both forgot about the two merpeople they had trapped. Sand flew and stones clattered as the sharks fought; this was their chance. Seizing her hand, Finn didn't wait. He fled the scene, with the mermaid struggling to keep up with his speed.

Melody was bewildered as she swam after the merman, and she kept looking behind them, expecting the sharks to be following, but they were far behind. The merman was so fast, and she still wasn't used to fast swimming. Her heart raced in her chest, both from the encounter with the sharks, and from the fast speed at which she was swimming. Melody was now feeling fatigue, and the merman was starting to drag her as she continued to slow.

Finally, the merman was slowing down, for they were at a safe distance to stop. Melody's grip on his hand was lost, as she drifted to the sandbed, clutching her side to soothe her stitch. She had never ran - or swam - so fast in her life, and her heart and lungs hated her for swimming so fast. She gasped to fill her lungs with oxygen. "Are you alright?" Said a concerned voice, and she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her skin warmed at his touch.

"I... I'm fine." Melody said, feeling the stitch start to subdue. There was a pause, and the hand then disappeared. Looking up, she saw him swimming away, head drooping. Her heart lurched. "Wait! Please, don't go." She rushed after him, and he turned, almost in surprise. Her breath caught as she met his sea-green gaze. "You saved my life... you can't just swim away."


	8. Misunderstanding

Finn was shocked. Usually, whenever somebody discovered where he was from, regardless of whether he'd saved their life or not, they would recoil in horror. They would either scald him with insults, or turn and leave, too disgusted or terrified to stay. This mermaid obviously knew where he was from, after last night - either she was extremely naive, brave, playing a trick on him, or hiding her disgust. Or maybe she saw past his kingdom. _T_ _hat's a first._

"My name's Melody." She said, jolting him out of his surprise. She gave him a small smile, and suddenly, Finn forgot about his reluctance to stay and talk. He had turned to go because of what he usually expected - he was never thanked for doing something good.

"Melody? So... you're one of the many famous granddaughters of Triton." How come Finn had never heard of her? Nia had them all noted down, and not once had he come across a 'Melody'. Suddenly, Finn's surprise - and joy - subdued, for she suddenly looked nervous. Maybe she wondered how much she could trust him, what she could tell him. He wouldn't tell the others anything: he held little loyalty to Nia, after what he had witnessed her doing in the past. Immediately, the familiar wave of pain grew, but he forced it down.

"Yes." She admitted. "Look, about Zafrina... my cousin yesterday... I'm really sorry."

"What?" Finn asked, not recalling.

"She downright called you evil. I mean, when she saw me talking to you, she leapt to a conclusion and assumed the worst." Melody looked guilty and uncomfortable, nervously twirling a piece of hair around her face. The girl sure had some hair - it was like jet, dark and glossy.

"It's fine. I'm used to the stereotype." Finn said, trying to sound as though he were joking, but there was painful truth in his tone.

There was an awkward moment of silence. Melody bit her tongue, unsure what to say, for she was so awkward around the opposite gender. _He just saved you from two sharks,_ said a helpful voice in her mind. "That was incredible, what you did back there. You... you saved me, from two sharks? I just froze up, and you were just... so brave."

"You acted like you'd never encountered a shark before. Hasn't everybody?" Finn used a joking voice, but Melody gave him an uncomfortable smile. _No, I haven't._

"Just not two, or that big." She said, remembering the shrunken Undertow with a shudder. "Regardless, thank you. It was really brave, what you did back there."

"Well, it's no problem." Finn replied, running a hand through his dark brown hair. There was another moment of silence, and then a shadow passed over them. Glancing up, Melody instantly recognised the silhouette of a wooden ship sailing overhead. "Humans." Finn regarded, shaking his head. "Where I come from, my queen despises them." Melody blinked, and glanced up. _Nia hates humans?_ Zafrina had told her that, but not the reason why. Zafrina - and everybody - always changed the subject whenever Nia was mentioned.

"Why?" She inquired, wanting to know more about the mysterious queen.

"She denies it, but... something happened to her, when she was younger. Humans did something terrible to her. Now, she hates them and orders everyone to kill every human on sight, if they can." Melody stared at Finn for a few seconds - then she swiftly covered her bracelet with her opposite hand. She couldn't help but worry as to what Finn would do if he knew she was human.

Melody spotted the kelp around his waist, and the dagger. The blade was long, straight and silver, and mistrust made her skin crawl. Finn detected her discomfort, for his eyes flashed with hurt at the look on her face. "Sorry." Melody said, rapidly, feeling a twinge of guilt. _This whole mistrust thing really gets to him._

"It's okay - of course you'd be disturbed. Not many Atlanticans carry daggers." Finn pulled the dagger out of the kelp. "It's not optional, where I come from. If it was, I'd never even think about it." He looked at it, with dull eyes.

"Do you mind if I have a look?" She asked, hoping to convince herself that he wasn't a threat. Nodding, Finn held it out to Melody. Unfortunately, this was awful timing, for suddenly, it was knocked out of his hand by a stone. Melody whipped around, but by the time her head was turned, Finn was crying out in protest.

"What the - get off!" Looking back, Melody saw three armoured guards from the palace surrounding Finn. His arms were pulled behind his back, and strong seaweed was being tied around his wrists. Finn's expression was one of horror and alarm.

"Leave him alone!" Melody gasped, but as she swarmed forward, she was intercepted by Sebastian.

"Are you alright, Melody?" Sebastian asked, frantically, in a high-pitched voice. "Flounder was swimming, and saw you being confronted by this... this - soldier. We got here just in time - knifepoint! Oh, I'd be stuffed crab of your mother found out -"

 _"Sebastian!"_ Melody interrupted, furiously. "He wasn't threatening me! He saved my -" But then there was a great commotion. Melody looked up just in time to see Finn throwing his head forward, so it connected with the forehead of the guard in front of him. His tail smacked another, and he threw his whole body toward the last, knocking the last guard back. Finn swam for it, hands still bound behind him. Melody swatted Sebastian away, beginning to follow.

"Melody! Get back here!" She ignored the crab's shriek, but then she eventually slowed, shocked at how Finn had freed himself - on his own, without his hands - from the three guards. Shaking it off, she continued to swim.

"Finn!" She hissed, searching; then she saw him hiding in a cliff crevice, struggling to free his hands. The guards swarmed around the crevice, dangerously close to Finn's hiding place. Melody, without thinking, pointed in the opposite direction.

"He went that way!" She lied, and the guards believed her, spinning around and following her indication toward a reef. Sebastian swam after the guards, giving Melody the opportunity. She plucked up Finn's dropped knife, swimming straight to the crevice. "Hands!" Melody ordered, and Finn extended his wrists, from where they were bound behind him. She slashed through the seaweed, heart racing. "I'm so sorry."

"I won't forget this - thank you." Finn said, sea-green eyes round with surprise at her act of kindness. They were filled with such gratitude. "Sorry you had to see that, but I had to get away."

"Melody? Melody!" Sebastian's voice made her stiffen. They didn't have much time.

"You should go." Melody said, quickly. "I'll lead them away from here." She turned away to go, but then she looked back. "Can... can I see you again?" She asked, out of the blue. Finn's eyes flashed with uncertainty.

"I'm not sure -" Sebastian was calling more and more. Soon, the guards would return, realizing they couldn't find Finn. "Okay, okay." Finn agreed, quickly. "Meet me here tomorrow night." Melody nodded eagerly, before hurriedly swimming out of the crevice. "Don't tell anyone!"

"I won't." She promised, before hurrying away, to find Sebastian, and stop him from having a panic attack.

 _Later_

"Look at me, Zafrina. I'm _fine!"_ Melody snapped, in anger. News of her encounter had spread like wildfire, and she was angry. Angry that everyone was treating her like a helpless child, when nothing had happened to her. Nobody believed her story, that Finn had, in fact, saved her life - everyone thought she was lying, that she'd hit her head and gotten confused, or something. The reputation of Nia's people was that terrible, but Melody knew that Finn wasn't evil.

"Melody, he had you at knifepoint! That's what Sebastian and the guards saw!" Zafrina retorted, in disbelief. They were sitting in one of the palace's rooms - Melody's aunts and cousins had tried to talk to her, but she was having none of it. Zafrina had invited herself in, however, despite protests. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" She asked, scanning Melody's head for bruising or bumps.

"No, he didn't have me at knifepoint, he was holding the knife out so that I could hold it -" Melody paused, seeing the unconvinced look. "It's true!" She insisted, in anger. "Why won't anyone believe me? Everyone's treating me like glass! I can't go off on my own. Nobody will tell me anything about Nia's kingdom, it's like I'm being wrapped in cotton wool! I'm sick of it, Zafrina!"

"It's just to keep you safe!" Zafrina blurted out. "You're our responsibility. We can't endanger you, because otherwise Ariel will have that bracelet off you. You'll never be allowed to be a mermaid again."

"I can take care of myself. Finn isn't a threat to me."

"He's one of them, Melody. Why are you so persistent in getting to know this boy? There's so many other things to do, rather than get into trouble with this guy. Why don't you visit Tip and Dash?"

"Don't try to change the subject, Zafrina. Besides, I can visit those two anytime - I'm pretty sure they can wait a few weeks." Her subject change having failed, Zafrina returned to their original conversation.

"If he's talking you, it's clearly trouble he's after." Zafrina was clearly stricken, her golden eyes wide and despaired. "Even if he is who you say he is, what about his kingdom? What if his buddies and his queen were to find out he's been talking to a granddaughter of their greatest enemy? They'll use him to get to you. They'll make him hurt you, or take you away so that Nia can use you as a ransom."

"He's not like that!" Melody protested, refusing to believe it. "Alright. If he's as bad as you say, why would he risk his life to save me from two great whites?"

"Oh, I don't know!" Zafrina buried her hands in her gold-tipped, brown hair, before taking Melody's own hands. "I'm just trying to protect you. I don't want you to get hurt!" Her eyes were pleading.

"But I won't get hurt, Zafrina." There was a tap on the door. "Go away! I'm not injured!" The nurse had knocked several times, due to all the rumours of Melody being hurt. The door creaked open anyway - Melody prepared to shout, but then she stopped, seeing one of Zafrina's sisters. "Oh... sorry, Zaidee." The sixteen year old peered in, her blue eyes - unusual against her dark complexion - troubled.

"What's up, Zaidee?" Zafrina asked, trying to conceal her frustration with Melody.

"Andrina." She said, in a small voice. Melody and Zafrina glanced up, at their aunt's name. Zaidee was visibly shaken; she was twisting her black hair, and her lilac tail was twitching, something she did whenever she was discontent. "Andrina's come back, from the unclaimed land. Grandfather's not with her... and she's in a bad way."


	9. Andrina's story

**_Since it's been said a few times in the reviews, I'll just clarify: Tip and Dash likely won't be seen, at least not until closer to the end. Sorry, it's just I don't see where they'd fit into this part of the story._**

Finn pulled the rock cover away from the cave entrance. He looked over his shoulder, to ensure that none of the Atlantican guards were following him, before slipping inside the cave, readjusting the stone slab. It had been an absolute nightmare, getting back unnoticed.

Finn swam through the tunnel, skin crawling as it usually did, whenever he was in the post. It made him feel so uneasy. The tunnel widened into a large cave - a dozen mermen, including himself, inhabited it. Spears and possessions littered the floor, and the beds were makeshift; rock slabs covered in seaweed. "And he returns." Finn sighed, hearing the voice. His only friend in the group, Bay, was lying on his bed, where it was adjacent to Finn's.

Bay was tall with straight, pale blonde hair and a dark green tail, of similar age to Finn. His skin was lighter than Finn's olive complexion, and his eyes were pale silver; not unsettling or unfriendly, however. They were rather like quartz, shining with friendliness and mischief. His hair was long, flowing down four or five inches past his collarbone; he sometimes kept it back in loose ponytail. The other mermen, all of whom had very short hair, often scoffed at the idea of a merman having hair growing longer than chin-length. Finn was often ridiculed, for having his hair grow to the bottom of his neck, but Bay was a more obvious target. Bay didn't care, however. He was probably the most cheerful merman in the kingdom, and he didn't have a mean bone in his body. He hadn't gone to the club last night, which was a relief.

"Hey, Bay." Finn greeted, preparing himself. Bay always had a joke waiting for him whenever he returned.

"Finn - why are there fish at the bottom of the sea?"

"No idea."

"Because they dropped out of school!" Bay laughed. Finn rolled his eyes. "Too bad. You need a sense of humour."

"I already have one... remind me, why are you here, again?"

"So rude." Bay rolled his own eyes. Finn dropped onto his bed, eyes watching the rest of their companions. They were huddled in the corner of the room, whispering into an open oyster; a light beamed above it, showing one of their instructors. The oyster was Nia's creation, used for exchanging live conversation between two locations.

Finn stiffened as he saw the instructors shoved aside, replaced by a bruised, ugly face. "Where's Finnley?" Barked Otan. The mermen turned, before Finn could leave the cave.

"Ouch." Bay muttered. "Have fun." Finn grumbled, and swam toward the other mermen. They split apart, retreating to their beds, leaving Finn alone with Otan. Otan glared at Finn through the vision.

"What's up, Otan?" Finn asked, leaning back in the seat.

"Thanks for the punch." Otan snarled.

"What, the sea daisy punch? It was my grandmother's recipe." Finn flashed his teeth in a grin, enjoying the look of anger on Otan's face.

"Ha! Hilarious!" Shouted Bay, from his bed, and Finn's comment even earned a few amused looks from the other mermen, who rarely acknowledged him. Otan glared in the direction of Bay's voice.

"Shut it." He snapped, before speaking more quietly, to stop any more commentary from the others, who were beginning to drift off. "You know very well what punch, creep. Some nurse says my nose'll be permanently off-center."

"Oh, are you sure? Mind you, it can't look much worse than it was before. Still looks as ugly as an elephant seal's nose from my angle, so that hasn't changed." Maybe Finn had pushed too many buttons. Otan opened his mouth to retort, looking dangerously angry. "Alright, what is it you want?" Finn asked, coolly, picking some seaberries from a bowl. Otan momentarily looked as though he were about to argue regarding his comment, but then he collected himself, although he spoke through clenched teeth.

"What's this we hear about you saving some mermaid's life? And based by her description, it's the pretty one you were talking to last night." Finn choked on the seaberry, coughing several times.

"Oh?" He looked up. Otan wore a smug look of satisfaction.

"Yeah. Costil overheard a mermaid talking to Triton's crab, of matching description to the one you were talking to last night. Black hair, red tail, blue eyes, locket and bracelet. One of the two granddaughters of Triton we encountered. Yeah, funny how this girl was claiming to have been rescued from two sharks by a guy named Finn." Otan looked at him expectantly, grinning with crooked teeth, waiting for an answer. Finn looked over his shoulder, ensuring that nobody could hear the conversation.

"How can you be sure it was me?" Finn challenged, defensively.

"Why would the crab be sending dozens of guards after a Finn from Atlantica?" Otan spat. "Besides, I know you're lying. Look at you, wriggling like a worm on a hook!"

"Alright. Maybe I did save her. So what?" Finn crossed his arms.

"She's one of them. An Atlantican! And possibly a -" but then there was a flash of silver, as someone seized him by the shoulder, digging in their nails. Otan went silent.

"Right, that's it! Move - enough time wasting!" Suddenly, the vision spun round, and Otan vanished. Instead, Finn was frozen in Nia's grey stare. Her decorative scars had been painted in, meaning she had just been in some sort of combat. They were black, this time - sometimes they were blue, or red. "Finn, we need information on this mermaid. We don't know who she is - if she is a granddaughter of Triton, it's not in the book."

"Nia - are you sure the other girl didn't just claim they were both granddaughters of Triton, so that they'd both be left alone?" Finn said, hopefully. He wasn't sure why he was defending Melody. He wasn't sure why he'd saved her life earlier, either. She seemed like a genuinely kind mermaid.

"We can't risk it, Finn. I want you to find out who her mother is -"

"How is that relevant?" Finn asked, in surprise.

"Just find out!" Nia snapped, acidly. "We need to know."

"Nia, she's just a granddaughter of Triton. He's got over twenty grandchildren in total, so what's so special about Melody?" _Oh, shoot._

"Thank you very much - that's confirmed, then." Said Nia, and behind her, he saw a quill writing into a book, by itself. "That's a start. You talk him through the rest, Otan." Nia then left, the book following in the air, without acknowledging Otan or Finn. Otan's face then swarmed the vision.

"You watch out, Finnley. Next time I see you -" Finn didn't allow him to finish - he slammed the oyster shut. He covered his face, and rested his elbows on the rock ledge. _I don't believe this._ He wouldn't do it. He couldn't.

 _Meanwhile_

Melody entered the room, behind Zafrina and Zaidee. All heads turned, and a horrible air of unease and awkwardness claimed the room. The now-present half of the four Zs completed the sibling group by joining Zoe and Zelda to the right of the room, and Melody followed, sitting on the sandy floor. She watched, chewing her nails, as Andrina flinched with every touch.

A nurse crouched over her, trying to apply a medical paste to her wounds, but Andrina kept wincing and edging away. Adella, Alana, Aquata and Arista fussed over her, while scribes were writing out letters to Attina's kingdom to notify her of what had happened. Sebastian paced along on a shelf, his legs clicking across, muttering about calamity.

"Can you refrain, please?" Asked one of Aquata's older daughters, from where she sat underneath the shelf. Sebastian looked down in annoyance, before standing still.

Andrina was a state. Half of her hair was out of it's pink accessory that pulled it back, with various scraps of sea debris caught in the blonde. Bruising marked her arms and face, splotching grey and purple. Viscous nail marks had scratched into her skin, and cleaner cuts represented how weapons had been used. Her hazel eyes were dull and weary, dark with exhaustion. She had asked about her children over and over, and her sisters had assured her that they were fine. Melody's older cousins, in their early twenties or teens, were the only ones in the room, for the younger children wouldn't be able to deal with blood and the seriousness of Andrina's story. Andrina's children were waiting outside, waiting to be allowed in.

"Ow!" Andrina's tail lashed to the side. "Watch it!"

"I'm sorry, your highness." Apologized the healer, an aging mermaid with short, silver-streaked ginger hair.

"Just tell us what happened, slowly." Adella said. "We barely understood." Andrina hesitated, before sighing and looking at the nurse.

"Give us a minute, please." She said, and the nurse obliged, leaving the room. Andrina struggled to sit up comfortably, and Alana shoved an extra pillow behind her head. The uneasy mutterings ceased, and everyone leaned forward to hear Andrina. "Me and daddy were around Nia's border. We were investigating reports that some of our missing people were seen around there, as you all know..."

"Were they?" Asked Zelda, impulsively. Alana gave her youngest daughter a look for interrupting, but Andrina went on.

"I recognized some, Zelda. Aquata... Serenity was there." All eyes turned to the temporary leader of Atlantica.

"Not Serenity!" Exclaimed Aquata, in horror. Melody opened her mouth to ask a question, before one of Aquata's sons answered for her.

"Mom, isn't Serenity your friend? One of the merpeople who've gone missing?" The fourteen year old asked, wide-eyed. "How could Serenity fight for Nia? She's a barbarian!"

"I don't know, Gale. But she didn't seem to recognize me..." Andrina was shaking her head, at a loss, before returning to the original story. "Anyway. We were about to turn back, but then we were spotted. Nia came out herself, as her soldiers cornered us against a cliff face." The room was deathly quiet.

"What happened next?" Asked Arista, quietly.

"Serenity kept me back, as the others got the upper hand against our father." Aquata closed her eyes, and bit her lip at the mention of both her friend and her father. "He threw me the trident, told me to escape. I wanted to stay, but he refused to let me, and then some of the soldiers started chasing me for the trident... I had no choice but to flee."

"What did they do to him?" Asked Alana, her face almost white. Andrina began to cry; her tears weren't visible, due to the water around them.

"Nia turned him to stone!" She sobbed, covering her face. A shocked silence spread around the room; the silent question was on everyone's minds, but Andrina answered before they could ask. "The stone enchantment can be undone. But I don't know how, or where she took his statue, or... or..." She broke down into more tears. Melody's aunts looked at one another, stricken, before Arista took Murphy off one of her nephews, and the other sisters ushered Melody and her cousins out. Andrina's two daughters and son, Jocasta, Diana, and Paleen, rushed up to their mother, and she gathered the preteens in her arms, trying to assure them that she was fine.

Melody's other aunts and Sebastian disappeared into a room, telling Melody and her cousins to head home. But as they headed off down the corridor, muttering in unease, Melody didn't follow. She swam after her aunts and the red crab, determined to find out more. "Melody? Melody!" Zafrina hissed, holding onto her tail. "What are you doing? You can't eavesdrop!"

"Who says I can't?" Melody ignored the protests, swatting her tail to free it of Zafrina's grasp. She crouched behind the entrance frame, with Zafrina attempting to pull her away; when she realized Melody wasn't moving, Zafrina sat down in frustration, crossing her arms. Peering around, Melody saw Aquata with her back to her sisters, hands on a table as she tried to think, Sebastian attempting to offer ideas in a low voice. Arista had Murphy in his baby sling, too shocked to speak, while Alana was trying to calm down Adella, who had her hands buried in her hair.

"What are we going to tell Ariel?" Adella fretted, swimming in circles.

"Nothing!" Alana insisted, following. "She's a human, what's the point in upsetting and worrying her when she can't physically do anything to help? We'll just tell her when everything's over..."

"Are you sure?" Arista asked, in concern. "I mean... I'm sure Ariel would want to know..."

"But what about Melody?" Alana reminded her. "Won't Ariel want her to go home? She's enjoying her time as a mermaid, we can't just ruin her fun!"

"This is her safety, though!" Aquata spoke loudly, as she spun round. "It's more important for her to be safe. One less merperson to worry about, especially after that boy had her at knifepoint earlier!"

"It was a misunderstanding." Melody whispered, in anger.

"But -" Zafrina tried to protest, but Melody silenced her with a glare.

"Wait - did Andrina bring back the trident?" Sebastian suddenly asked. There was a moment of silence. Then there was a great scuffle to get out. Melody threw herself back, flat against the wall, as her aunts and crab raced out of the room. She went after them, Zafrina close behind, and they both hid behind a pedestal, as Andrina emerged from her room, wiping her eyes. Sebastian, Aquata, Alana, Adella and Arista halted before her.

"Andrina... what happened to the trident?" Alana asked, in a high-pitched voice. Andrina looked briefly confused, but then her face flooded with horror, remembering.

"I..." she was pale. "I dropped it in a crevice... in the unclaimed land, between Nia and us." The other sisters looked mortified.

"Which one?" Adella demanded.

"Neptune's Scar." Andrina answered. She covered her face, seeing the horrified expressions. "I'm so sorry! It was an accident, but it's so dark and full of horrible creatures... I couldn't retrieve it. But it will be difficult for Nia to find."

"Not to mention difficult for _us_ to find." Zafrina commented.

"Andrina..." Arista closed her eyes. "That place is heavily guarded. There's no way we'll be able to get it back, not without being noticed!" She covered her mouth, and the other sisters showed similar grief. "That boy you spoke of, Sebastian. Could he help?"

"Well, there are guards out looking for him, Arista. But then, how can we trust a word he says?" Sebastian shook his head. "We'll capture him. Then we'll figure out what to do next." Melody watched, absorbing this infomation, before the sisters and Sebastian seperated and left after an awkward silence.

"Why were you eavesdropping?" Asked Zafrina, narrowing her eyes. "You can't seriously be listening out for that merboy." Melody bit her lip, and Zafrina gasped. "Don't tell me... you are, aren't you? You're not seriously going to warn him! You can't trust him, Mel."

"Oh, put a sock in it." Melody muttered, before swimming down the corridor. Puzzlement took over Zafrina's face, for she obviously didn't know what socks were.


	10. Mission aborted

Finn waited for the shark to disappear around the corner before leaving the cave. As he'd noticed a few days ago, it was clear that the sharks had found a prey hiding place. Now he had to watch out for both sharks _and_ Atlantican guards, when leaving the post. He had told the others that they should probably move,but he was ignored, as usual. Only Bay shared his concerns.

 _Speaking of Bay, where is he?_ Finn hadn't seen Bay's pale blonde hair all day. Apparently, he had gone out for an early morning swim - but that had been hours ago. Trying not to worry, Finn shoved the stone in place, before swimming downwards. Otan had summoned him to the oyster at dawn, reminding him to find out more about Melody, 'on Nia's orders'. But Finn wasn't going to tell Otan and Nia anything. He didn't trust either of them, and it wasn't like they deserved to know.

He wasn't sure what exactly Nia wanted with the mysterious young mermaid. Triton had many other grandchildren, and Finn had spent most of last night trying to figure out what was so unique about Melody. So what if she was the only grandchild unaccounted in the book? It didn't matter, surely, unless Nia was obsessed with organising information, which was possible. The queen had always been a bit strange, even before she ascended to the throne.

Finn began to relax, as he swam further away from the cave, and out of the shark-infested area. There was something about Atlantica - he really admired it. The colourful reefs, the warm water, the tropical fish - there were a lot of things he liked. Back home, further north, it was a bit depressing - the water wasn't as warm. The fish were simple, brown and grey, like the seabeds - seaflowers and corals weren't as numerous, and there were more shipwrecks lying around. There seemed to be more sharks and sinister eels, further that way, as well as a great sea serpent that lurked along a great underwater gorge nearby. The merpeople weren't exactly pleasant, either. Only two individuals from his kingdom treated him with genuine respect - Bay, and his mother. Well, she used to, since she was dead now.

Merissa had died when he was around five. She had been in her early twenties, the best mother he could ask for. With her warm brown eyes and dark brown hair, like his, Merissa had loved him dearly. Finn had used to love hiding in her waist-length hair, ducking in and out of the thick tresses as she had laughed and tried to reach for him. But she was dead now.

She was the only one who had affectionately called him 'Finnley', other than Otan, who used it mockingly. Merissa had been the only family he had - no siblings, and a father who hadn't stuck around. He had an aunt, as well as a cousin, but neither had cared when Merissa died. Finn didn't want to think about Merissa now. He had to focus on where he was going.

Pushing the memories away, Finn changed his direction, remembering that he'd asked Melody to meet him in the last place they'd seen each other. Maybe they'd go somewhere else afterwards, since it wasn't exactly safe there for him, with Finn being hunted by the guards.

Would Melody even turn up? What if she'd had second thoughts?

 _Meanwhile_

Finn needn't have worried. Melody was already on her way to the last place she'd seen him.

It had been a hectic morning. The matter of Andrina's story, Triton's imprisonment, and the possibility that Nia was kidnapping Atlanticans. At least, this was Zoe's theory, as to why the missing merpeople were seemingly fighting for Nia, as evidenced by Serenity's apparent change of allegiance. The search for Finn had intensified greatly, and Melody knew she had to warn him.

But warning Finn wasn't her absolute priority. Melody was worried about her grandfather, worried that if her aunts told Ariel, her time as a mermaid would come to an abrupt end. She covered her bracelet protectively with her right hand, determined not to allow it to be taken away. She was going to return to being human eventually, maybe in a few days to spend some time with her parents, before maybe spending some more time underwater. Melody wasn't sure as to whether she wanted to morph back into human form, though.

News of the misplaced trident hadn't left the palace - Melody's aunts had sworn to keep it to themselves, to prevent panic, but they had no idea Melody and Zafrina knew. Zafrina had been watching Melody like a hawk, determined not to let her see Finn, but her cousin was so easy to fool. That morning, Melody had snuck away within minutes of Zafrina lecturing her about the dangers of Nia's people, insisting that she was going into the city with one of their cousins, Sweetbriar. Hopefully Zafrina wouldn't spot Sweetbriar, to see that Melody wasn't with her. When Sweetbriar told Zafrina she hadn't seen Melody at all, of course Zafrina would clock it. Hopefully that wouldn't happen.

Melody was also worried about the trident. She certainly knew what could happen, should it fall into villainous hands - she knew that all too well. Her aunts were practically doing nothing about it, at least not yet. As a result, the most powerful weapon in the ocean was lying somewhere in the crevice they called Neptune's Scar. Her aunts were currently making a decision on what to do about the trident, but Melody was anxious about it. _You could look for it yourself, you know._ Whispered an unexpected voice in her mind. Melody paused, before shuddering and shaking off the reckless idea.

Soon, Melody was swimming over the top of the seacliff, and scanning for Finn. She couldn't worry about the trident now - and as she swam down the cliff face, her worries dissolved. "Finn?" She looked around, searching.

"Melody!" Exclaimed a voice, behind her. She whirled round, a smile coming to her lips, as she saw Finn swimming toward her. He too was grinning, as Melody swam toward him. "You actually turned up!" He sounded surprised.

"Of course I turned up." Melody smiled again, but she had to admit, she had had her doubts before leaving. It was the fact that Finn's queen despised humans, sending this message to her people - this was why Melody, privately, couldn't trust him entirely. There was no way she could tell him of her human blood. She had to learn more about him, first - but even then, she wasn't sure as to how he'd perceive her, should he discover who she was. "Look, I have to warn you, Finn. My people are looking for you." Finn ran a hand through his dark hair.

"I know." He admitted. "I have to watch out. But I'll be careful, and besides, it was worth it, coming out here to see you... er, to see that you're safe and well after yesterday... what's the matter with me?" Finn laughed nervously, cheeks seeming to go pink. "So... what do you feel like doing? I can't exactly go into Atlantica."

"How about one of the reefs?" Melody suggested. At his look of discomfort, she quickly assured him. "My cousins told me which ones are the most popular. We'll go to one of the empty ones nobody visits."

"Sounds great." Finn nodded. "Lead the way." So Melody began to lead Finn in the direction of the particular lagoon. "So, if you don't mind me asking... why did you want to see me again?" He inquired, with curiosity. Melody slowed a bit.

"Well... I guess it's partially because you saved my life. And... you seem like a nice person, too." Melody couldn't also say that she was trying to learn more about his people, as well. "I also... the way you dealt with those guards, it was so impressive. There was three of them, and you just... you just swatted them away like flies."

"Flies?" Finn questioned. Melody stiffened; not many merpeople knew what flies were.

"Oh... just some annoying creature from my home kingdom." That wasn't entirely dishonest. "Look, my point is... I'm not that skilled at self-defence. I suppose... I thought you could possibly teach me something. And I like you. You seem like a nice person." Finn paused, slowing to a stop.

"You know where I'm from, don't you?" He said. Suspicion glittered in his sea-green eyes. "How... how can you trust me? I'm not being rude or anything. It's just... nobody usually trusts me."

"I don't know. I just have a feeling." Melody hoped that didn't sound stupid. "Let's just agree not to lie to each other, alright?" She felt a twinge of guilt. Of course she was going to have to lie.

 _Later_

The reef, as Melody had promised, was empty of merpeople. Fish and turtles swam along the rainbow splashes of coral, paying the mermaid and merman little attention. Melody had no idea why it was rarely visited; it was very beautiful here. The water was stunningly clear, and warm. Shafts of sunshine sliced through the blue, dappling the corals and sand with gold. Seaweeds brushed their tails, green and pink-red, amung the coral.

"So, Melody - where are you from?"

"I'm... I'm from east of here." Melody answered, after a few moments. "Yeah. I live with my parents... sometimes."

"They not around?" He asked, in curiosity.

"Oh... that's right. They do a _lot_ of travelling." Melody laughed, lightly, knowing that wasn't the truth. Before Finn could ask another question, she glanced up. "How often do you go to the surface?"

"Me? Well... sometimes. I'm a little afraid of being seen, I guess." Finn shrugged. "I'd go more often, but I... I must admit, it scares me."

"Humans?" Melody glanced over her shoulder, keeping her voice even to conceal her true intent. She was looking for answers.

"I guess so." Finn said, but his tone revealed nothing, leaving her frustrated and disappointed. This outing was starting to feel pointless, and she could tell Finn was getting more bored.

"So, how's your kingdom?" Melody asked, hoping that she could revive the conversation. "What's it like? Nobody tells me anything."

"Well... it's not great. It's cold and there's this giant sea serpent lurking around Neptune's Scar." Finn's words made Melody pause. _Neptune's Scar?_ That sounded familiar. Melody had stopped swimming, a strange expression on her face. Finn looked at her in puzzlement. "Melody?"

"Neptune's Scar. Is it a crevice in the sea floor?" She asked, looking sharply at Finn.

"Yeah... why?" Finn narrowed his sea-green eyes in a frown. Her aunts' conversation raced through her head; Andrina had dropped the trident in Neptune's Scar, and been unable to retrieve it. But before she could reply, Melody heard a voice behind her. She whipped round, and saw a large yellow and blue fish. Flounder was calling for her, but hadn't noticed who was with her. Melody heard the sound of stones falling, and looking back, saw Finn struggling into a gap in the coral. "Help me, quick!" He gasped.

Melody shoved Finn into the gap, and she heard him protesting; sharp corals were scratching into his arms and face. "Sorry!" She whispered, guiltily, before spinning around and backing up, concealing the gap as Finn hid himself. A huffing and puffing Flounder was making his way toward her.

"-one of my kids saw you headed this way with a merboy." Flounder panted - Melody froze, thinking that he'd start interrogating her, but to her surprise, he didn't. "You've got to come back, now. Your aunts want to talk to you." He said nothing about the merboy. _Maybe his kid didn't recognize Finn? He wasn't mentioned?_

"Alright, alright." Melody replied, hesitant to move in case Finn wasn't fully hidden. As Flounder turned away, Melody pulled away from the gap, before rapidly swimming ahead of Flounder so that he wouldn't turn back. As Flounder hastily sped up, Melody looked back in time to see Finn easing his way out of the gap.

Finn's heart was beating furiously as he pressed against a scratch on his cheek, wincing at the pain. That had been close - too close. Suddenly _,_ there was the sound of a merman's voice, from his seaweed pouch around his waist. He usually kept a dagger there, but had left it behind for Melody's sake. He pulled out a small shell, opening it. It was basically a smaller version of the oyster. "What?" He asked, faced with a merboy named Costil.

"Nia's - what happened to your face?" Costil blinked. "Anyway, Nia's orders. Mission aborted. We have to return to our city." Costil said, bluntly. Finn blinked, but before he could ask, Costil answered his question. "Some Atlantican guards found the post. Everyone got out - but they got Bay. We have to go, now." An image of Finn's friend swarmed in his mind.

Bay had been his best friend since childhood. He had been friends with Finn since before Finn's mother died - Bay had been the one to comfort him. They had been five year old merboys, sitting together at her grave; Finn had been bawling his eyes out while Bay assured him that it was okay, that Merissa was in a better place now. They were more like brothers than friends. The thought of Bay imprisoned made his stomach turn.

"What?" He asked, the information having sunk in. Costil shook his head.

"I can't explain now. We've gotta get back - we're under the rock arch, at -"

"Woah, rewind a bit!" Finn interrupted, and Costil paused, frowning. "Are you telling me that we're abandoning Bay?" Costil didn't reply, but Finn knew the answer - the look of guilt was plastered over the young merman's face. Finn felt a hot flash of shock and betrayal. "We can't leave him there! That's crazy!"

"We don't need that liability." Costil's words sounded forced - he was under orders. "He thinks everything's a joke. We don't need him, and besides, the security is too tight. Just get to the arch and we'll -"

"No." Finn snapped, firmly. "I'm not leaving Bay." Costil's eyes flashed. There was an urgent whispering in the background.

"What?" Another merman appeared behind Costil, and he was soon followed by the others. They wore shocked and horrified expressions. "What the heck are you doing, Finn? You can't do that! Think about it. Anyone who defies the queen's orders... that's treason." Finn's ears seemed to close - the mermen seemed to fade out. He looked, unblinking, at the floating orb.

"Listen to sense!" Costil urged, breaking through the block. "Heck, after what you did to Otan, you're already in Nia's bad books! Otan'll find you - any excuse to beat you up, or worse! He'll kill you, if Nia doesn't! Fi-" Finn closed the shell. Anger surging through him, he seized a nearby stone, and brought it down, shattering his communication shell to pieces.


	11. A new plan

Zafrina paced the corridor, running her hands through her hair, and swimming back and forth. The protests from downstairs were heard through the floor. "I honestly don't know who this 'Melody' is! I'm not this guy who held her at knifepoint - who would even do that? I'm sorry for trespassing, my queen forced me to stay in your land -" he was interrupted by Aquata, who threw another accusation at him.

Zafrina felt so guilty now. Seeing the stranger swimming about, she had assumed the worst upon seeing Nia's symbol tied to his seaweed bag. Out of fear, she had sent Zaidee, whom she had been out with, to go back and get help while she stayed and watched the merman. But when Zaidee had gone, Zafrina had been surprised by what she witnessed. The young merman hadn't been throwing knives or bullying passing marine life, like she'd expect from someone of Nia's kingdom. Instead, he had sat down, got out a book with blank pages, and started to draw something. Zafrina had been taught that Nia's people were sheer brutes, impatient and unrefined - _all_ of them. But this merman had been drawing, in his own world, until the guards had showed up.

The pale blonde merman had looked up in such genuine shock, as guards swarmed upon him. But instead of whipping out a spear or knife, or punching his way out, he had dropped the book and put up his hands. The guards had seized him and bound him, before dragging him away, with him protesting all the while.

After the merman had been pulled away, out of sight, she had collected the book, and hid it in her bag, for Zaidee had appeared from around a pile of rocks, asking her what had happened. Reminded, Zafrina reached into her woven bag, which was made of a plum-coloured fabric the same colour as her lipstick. Impatient, she tried to pull the book out, but it was snagged on something. Giving up, she turned the bag upside down. Her hairbrush and some shells clattered noisily to the floor, and finally, the book and the quill that came with it. Shoving the contents back into the bag, except for the book, Zafrina rested it on a cabinet.

Opening the book, Zafrina was surprised. The first page was of a merman and a mermaid; painted, with every minute detail, from every strand of hair to every fleck of colour in their eyes. The mermaid was a very pale blonde, just like the artist, while the merman had greying, light brown hair - he had the same silver eyes, too, like pale quartz. Both were smiling - they had to be the merman's parents, judged on their similarities to him. Small, black writing in the bottom right corner named them as 'Yasmina and Aramis'.

Impressed, Zafrina took the corner of the page, about to turn to the next one, but then she heard a voice down the corridor. She stuffed the book back into her bag, and spun round, trying to look casual. Her mother was swimming toward her. "Mom, this guy, then... who is he?" She asked, aware that Alana had gone downstairs earlier.

"Well, sweetie... apparently his name is Bay. And he apparently wasn't the one who confronted Melody the other day." Alana looked tired. "But... Aquata doesn't want to release him, no matter how harmless he seems. She thinks he can provide inside information." Zafrina's heart sank with more guilt.

"But... if he seems harmless, surely..." Her voice faltered at Alana's look of puzzlement. Zafrina was never so considerate about Nia's people.

"It's not that simple, Zaffy." Alana sighed, after a few moments. "Is... is Melody back yet? We didn't want her out alone, with Nia's merpeople lurking about."

"No." Zafrina shook her head. Alana shook her own, before wrapping her arms around her eldest daughter in a hug. She then swam down the corridor, and disappeared into Andrina's room. Zafrina turned, and saw Aquata emerge from the staircase that led to the palace dungeon. She was writing something down, and didn't notice her niece.

Curious, Zafrina swam forward, looking down the dark stairs, wondering over whether to return the book to its owner. Eventually, she gave in and started swimming down it. Her skin crawled as she saw how dark it was getting; the palace dungeon was, while rarely used, extremely unpleasant. The stairs then ended, showing the cells - all were empty, but at the end, she could see a padlock on the door. The guard, an elderly merman, leaned against the wall, but he was fast asleep.

Silent, Zafrina headed down, peering around the cell. There he was, sitting with his back to her, head in his hands. His hair was loose; it had been loosely tied back, but even the tie had been confiscated. It was thick and very long and pale, almost silvery blonde, with a slight wave to the tresses. It now cascaded around his shoulders and shielded his face from her. He was letting out occasional sniffs, and wiping his eyes. Was he _crying?_ Guilt crushed Zafrina's heart.

She reached into her bag, bringing out the book, and hesitated, wondering over whether to call out. Shaking her head, Zafrina gently pushed the book through the bars, and tapped on the wall, before retreating out of his sight. She dived behind a column, peering out to see what would happen. Bay, as Alana had called him, looked up with a hopeless expression, but then he spotted the book. His silver eyes flooded with shock, as he raced over to the wall, sweeping it from the floor.

Blinking, he glanced down the corridor. Zafrina wasn't sure as it whether he'd seen her or not, but then she realized he was staring in her direction - her hair was floating out. She quickly swept it back out of view, but knew Bay had seen her. He swallowed, before opening the book, to the first page. He held it to his chest, eyes closed, before he slid down the wall, and remained there. Zafrina blinked several times, puzzled - and touched - by what she had just seen.

"Zafrina?" Said a voice, sharply. She whipped round, and saw Sebastian. "What in Neptune's name are you doing?" Demanded the crab, furiously. Hearing, Bay hid the book under the cell bed, before Zafrina saw him looking through the bars, straight at her.

"I just dropped something down the stairs." She lied to Sebastian, before swimming away hastily, up the staircase. As she reached the top, Zafrina looked behind her to ensure Sebastian wasn't following - but then she crashed into somebody. "Sorry, Melody!"

Melody picked herself up, about to scold her cousin for knocking into her, before she realized where she had come from. She blinked. "What were you doing in the dungeon, Zafrina?"

"Er... nothing." Zafrina insisted. But then she seemed to remember something, for her eyes narrowed. "Oh, I saw Sweetbriar earlier - minus you." Melody prepared to defend herself, waiting for Zafrina to argue with her about Finn. "You saw him again, didn't you?" But Zafrina didn't sound as angry as usual. If anything she sounded confused and uncertain.

"Yes." Said Melody, boldly, looking steadily into her cousin's golden eyes, still waiting for a reprimand - but it never came. Zafrina kept glancing downstairs, toward the dungeons, frowning. "What's happened?" Melody asked. But then, behind them, there was the sound of five mermaids. Zafrina grabbed her, and pulled her behind a column, as Aquata, Alana, Adella, Arista and Andrina emerged. Andrina was looking better than yesterday - her hair was back in place, her skin clean and wounds tended, but all of their faces were plagued by worry. Melody's heart began to beat faster.

"I don't think this is a good idea." Murmured Arista. "We can't do this to Melody."

"I'm sorry, Arista." Alana was shaking her head. "But it's one less merperson to worry about. Even I don't feel safe here no more, with that maniac queen out there. I'm taking my daughters, and we're all going down to Adonis's kingdom. It's far safer down there for all of us, and you guys are free to come with me." Zafrina stiffened, and looked at Melody. Alana was planning on taking herself and the four Zs down to Adonis.

"I don't want to go..." Zafrina began, quietly. "I love dad and all, but..." but then Andrina interrupted.

"Can't you take Melody with you? Let her see another kingdom..." Her voice faltered at Aquata's face.

"So far away from Ariel? We can't. And besides, what if Nia follows? After what happened to you?" Aquata reminded her. "No. The next time we see her, we're taking that bracelet off her and sending her home." Melody froze in shock, meeting Zafrina's mortified stare. _What?_ "Tomorrow morning, we'll escort her to the shore. We'll explain everything to Ariel there."

"Are you sure?" Adella frowned. "Arista's right. It'll devastate her! She's seventeen, she can look after herself..."

"I'm with Aquata." Alana was nodding. "It's too dangerous for a half-human, half-mermaid - after what happened to those sailors a few years ago, don't you think Melody is on top of Nia's hit list? She's already been at risk before from a seawitch. We can't let it happen again!"

"Are we in agreement?" Aquata asked. "We send Melody home. Agreed?" Alana and Andrina nodded, and eventually, Adella and Arista reluctantly agreed. "And that's another thing. We're not sending anyone to get the trident." Immediately, this was met with protest.

"Are you joking? That's crazy!" Andrina protested. "We can't leave the trident in that crevice! Anyone could get their hands on it!"

"I'm sorry, but until that clamcase isn't a threat and daddy is free, we can't risk anyone's life by sending them into a death trap. The unclaimed territory is too dangerous - it's crawling with Nia's soldiers." Most of the sisters rushed after Aquata in protest - Arista was the only one who remained.

"What a stupid idea." Arista criticized to herself, before swimming toward her room, where she'd left baby Murphy. For a few moments, Melody and Zafrina were in silence - Melody had slid to the floor, eyes glued to her red tail and her bracelet. The ruby-like jewel glistened with the braided gold band against her pale skin, and her hand closed around her wrist. Then Zafrina exploded.

"What is Aquata thinking?" Zafrina spluttered, once Arista was gone. Her eyes blazed with a golden flame, and pink appeared in the caramel skin of her face. "She - she can't leave the trident in that crevice! And what right do they have, taking your bracelet off you? That's insane!" She looked outraged. "So what if there's a psycho out there! You can take care of yourself!"

Zafrina's anger faded in Melody's ears. All kinds of emotions coursed through her - confusion, anger, disgust. _How dare they. I'm seventeen!_ Melody couldn't believe her aunts were sending her home - she could take care of herself. Did they think she was weak, because of her human heritage? Vulnerable and unable to protect herself?

Melody was snapped back to reality when Zafrina's voice pierced through her thoughts. "This is out of order. I'm going to tell them all how insane a plan this is - you, the trident! They've lost their minds!"

A new streak of courage burned through Melody. She rose from the floor, and crossed the corridor to a window. She gazed across the gleaming city - beyond that, a wide stretch of sand, dotted with bare rocks. The unclaimed land stretched, fading into the blue. She briefly felt a trace of fear, but forced or down. "I'm not just going to sit here, waiting to be sent home, while the trident sits in a gap in the ocean floor, waiting to be found by Nia. If nobody's going to get it and free our grandfather... it looks like we'll have to."

Zafrina stared in shock at Melody. "You're not... you're not actually suggesting that we go and get it, are you? Seriously?" The look on Melody's face confirmed that she was being fully serious - Zafrina stared at Melody as if she'd just grown five wings. "Mel... are you mad? There's no way we could!"

"How do you know that?" Melody challenged. "If your mom and our aunts aren't going to do anything, someone has to. And if nobody else will, it'll have to be us."

"Us?" Zafrina said, weakly. Melody rose her thick eyebrows - but then Zafrina rolled her eyes. "Fine. There's no way you can do it alone - I'm going with you." Melody hugged her cousin with utter joy. "But we don't know where this Neptune's wound thing is!"

"It's Neptune's scar." Melody corrected. "And I will soon know exactly how to get there." Zafrina glanced questioningly at her, but then her eyes widened in realization.

"No... you're not seriously considering..." but Zafrina didn't seem as protesting this time. She sounded reluctant still, but now, she wasn't dead against the idea of Melody seeing Finn. "Oh... fine. You go and ask him to take us... but if he betrays us, it's on you."

"Thank you." Melody said, ignoring her last sentence. She turned to go, but then she looked back. "You've... you've certainly changed your tune. What made you less... dead against Finn?"

"I still don't trust him, Mel." Zafrina said, eyes hardened. Melody felt a little crestfallen, as she swam away - then the guilt and doubt then crept back in, as she realized her trust in Finn wasn't whole, either. She just had to pray that she could rely on Finn.


	12. The femme fatale

Melody raced over the city of Atlantica, swimming far above the city as she headed for the cliffs. She had no idea how she would find Finn - the cliffs were a start, but aside from that, where else was she supposed to look? Finn had a post, but from what he'd said, it was inhabited by additional mermen from his kingdom. How loyal was Finn to his people? Why would he help her? These questions raced through her mind.

Arriving at the cliffs once again, Melody swam downwards, looking around, but failing to spot any sign of Finn; no navy tail was in sight. A few dolphins were frolicking below, chasing each other. "Excuse me!" She called, swimming forwards. A dolphin paused, looking her way. "Have you seen a merboy around here? Dark brown hair, navy tail, tattoos on his upper arms?" The dolphin tipped it's head to the side, acknowledging the description. It then made one of it's clicking chirrups toward one of it's friends, who clicked something back. The dolphin then pointed toward a rocky area with it's nose. "Thank you!" Melody said, gratefully, following the direction.

Hastily, Melody sped along to the rocks, which consisted of lots of stone columns, many half-collapsed. "Finn! Are you here?" She paused over a high rock arch, scanning the surroundings. Swinging her body over, so she hung upside down, she looked below the arch. She searched along the underneath, trying to find some sign of him. She stopped, seeing a bumpy shape. In the shadow of the arch, she couldn't see him clearly - but when she squinted a little, she picked him out.

Finn was sitting, leaning against the arch, head rocking as he fought off fatigue. His seaweed belt lay in a heap, and there was the glint of his dagger amongst the green. "Finn!" Melody exclaimed. Finn jolted, looking up with startled sea-green eyes, but then the alarm faded when he realized it was only her.

"Melody!" Finn rose from the sand. Melody swam down to meet him.

"Oh, Finn. I'm sorry that our outing got disrupted." Finn opened his mouth to reply. "But that's not why I'm here." At this, Finn paused, letting her continue. "I haven't got a lot of time - I need to ask you something. How loyal are you to your queen?" Finn's eyes flashed with confusion.

"I'm not exactly her number one fan, if that's what you mean. She..." Finn was going to say something, but then he changed his mind, shaking his head. "Why?"

"Would you be willing to help the enemy?" She asked, heart thudding as she realized how this could all go horribly wrong. It took him a while to attach a meaning to her question.

"You're not my enemy..." Finn began.

"We may not be, but our kingdoms are -"

"I know that. But I don't have a kingdom anymore." Melody stopped talking, staring at Finn in puzzlement. Before she could ask what he meant, Finn revealed some shattered fragments of a clam shell - a small communication shell. "I'm basically a traitor. Defied the queen's orders... so in other words, my allegiance to Nia is no longer in place. I'm kingdomless." Finn said, with little emotion. She blinked. "Melody... what do you want me to do?"

"I..." Melody hesitated briefly. "My grandfather's trident is lying in Neptune's Scar, right now. But I don't know how to get there, and Aquata isn't doing anything to retrieve it. I need you to be my and Zafrina's - my cousin's - guide, and take us there to retrieve the trident. If we get it back, get it out of Nia's reach, there's a possibility we can gain the upper hand and end this war between the kingdoms." Melody knew it sounded crazy - she was expecting him to laugh, or refuse without hesitation. But Finn's face was expressionless, as he concealed his thoughts, as he considered her words.

"Sounds risky..." Melody bit her lip, expecting a refusal. Did he still hold onto his kingdom loyalty? "But then... I don't see what else I have to do. Okay. I'll help you... if you do something for me, in return." The emotions returned to his face: a pained expression, almost. "One of my group was taken away by some palace guards, earlier. That's why I'm a traitor - the others packed up and left, but I refuse to leave without him. He's my best friend... he's always been there for me, and he's not like the other guys. He's innocent and good-natured. His name is Bay - do you know him?"

"No." The name was alien to her ears, but she was sure she knew what he wanted her to do. "You want me to help you free him, don't you?" Maybe that was why Zafrina had kept glancing toward the dungeons. The enormity of what Finn was asking weighed upon her shoulders - getting caught would likely lead to an immediate confiscation of her bracelet, but then if she didn't leave Atlantica soon, her aunts would find her and send her home. She didn't have a choice. "Agreed. I will free him if you guide me and Zafrina to Neptune's Scar."

 _Later_

Zafrina watched the land around Atlantica, anxiously awaiting Melody's return. She twisted the spiky blue and gold shell on her necklace and pulled at her bag, watching for any sign of Melody and or Finn. She was incredibly nervous about this trip - leaving her family, allying with a merman from their most loathed kingdom? It sounded like a disaster waiting to happen.

It was almost nightfall; the sun was weaker, for the surface of the above ocean was darkening. Merpeople were beginning to return home, and if Melody didn't hurry back, their aunts and Zafrina's mother would realize that they hadn't seen Melody all day. Aquata kept passing, asking if Zafrina had seen Melody - she lied that she hadn't. Each time, Aquata sounded more concerned, and soon, she'd send out search parties.

Zafrina turned, watching the dungeon staircase, biting her lip. But then, suddenly, something whizzed past her ear. Jolting, she saw a small pebble come to rest on the floor. She heard her name being hissed. Whipping round, Zafrina leaned out of the window, thinking the pebble had come from outside. And she was right, for there, below, there was a glint of gold from the shadow of some boulders. The unmistakable glisten of Melody's locket.

"Zafrina!" Melody waved frantically, to get her attention. At first, Zafrina thought she was alone; had Finn refused to help? But then she felt a trace of fear when she saw a figure behind her cousin. He was there, concealed in the shadows of the boulders. She could just about pick out his uneasy expression. He was in the heart of enemy territory - right outside the palace.

"Melody!" Zafrina glanced down the corridor, making sure that it was empty, before replying. "What's he doing? The guards'll find him here!"

"I don't have time to explain!" Melody protested. "Look, this was only way I could get him to agree to take us on such a dangerous trip. There's a merboy in the -"

"The dungeon?" Zafrina blinked. "Do you mean the blonde dude, Bay?" Even from her height, she could see the look of hope in Finn's eyes.

"Yes!" Melody nodded. "We have to free him. And... I can't go in there, and Finn certainly can't. So..." Melody did her best winning smile, looking up at Zafrina with big, hopeful blue eyes. For a few moments, Zafrina didn't clock what Melody was asking of her.

"What do you want me to do? You don't want me to just waltz in there and spring him out of prison?" She giggled, thinking it to be a joke, but then the amusement faded. She saw Melody and Finn looking at one another, with full seriousness. "You're not actually - wait, you're fully serious!" Her eyes widened.

"Well, I can't, and neither can Melody!" Finn reasoned, from below.

"But that's ridiculous! I can't do that, it's against the rules..."

"Since when were you one to go by the rules?" Melody asked. "You're the rebellious one, Zafrina! What about the time you wore bright blue lipstick? Come on, please!" She looked up hopefully, and Finn was doing the same. His eyes were desperate and pleading. Zafrina hesitated, looking from Melody to Finn - what if she got caught? Would she be thrown into a cell for helping an enemy escape? _What if Melody or one of my sisters were imprisoned, and I couldn't get them out? I'd beg someone to free them._

"I... oh, fine!" She rolled her eyes, defeated. "Wait there. And prepare to make a speedy getaway." Zafrina then whirled around, headed for the staircase. She paused before going down, listening for someone coming up it, before rapidly descending, swimming down the spiralling stairs.

But as the stairs faded away, her fins flapped frantically, and she dived behind a column. A young merman was sitting on a chair, guarding the cell that held Bay. Zafrina stared at the guard from her hiding place, entirely stuck - of course there'd be a guard. _What am I supposed to do now?_ She didn't want to knock an innocent merman out, and she couldn't exactly ask him to release Bay. But then an idea emerged in her brain, one she really didn't like. Maybe she'd have to play the _femme fatale._

Cursing, she reached into her bag, pulling out her plum-coloured lipstick, running it over her lips. She smoothed her hair, gathering it all over her shoulder, before she inhaled deeply. She put on her best smile, and placed one hand upon her left hip. She silently swam to the side of a cell, placing her free hand high up on the entrance frame, body thrown forward. The guard continued to inspect his spear tip, not noticing the mermaid. She swished her tail.

"Hi." Greeted Zafrina in a flirty voice, flashing her pearly teeth in a beaming smile. The guard looked up in surprise, jolting - his face was mottled with spots and scars from where they had been repetitively picked, and she tried not to grit her teeth in disgust. He looked around, as if wondering whether she was talking to him. "Yes, you... sweet thing." She always called merboys she found attractive that, but this time, he didn't catch her interest.

In the closed cell, Bay was lying on his side in the uncomfortable bed, concealing his book while he looked through it. Hearing the familiar voice outside, he shoved it under a pillow, and appeared at the bars out of curiosity. He glanced from the mermaid to the guard, suspicious of Zafrina's honeyed voice.

"Princess Zafrina." The guard nodded at her, eyes drawn to her plush lips, her gold-tipped, dark brown locks. "Er..." he rose from his seat. "You shouldn't be, um, in here..." Zafrina hid her embarrassment and discomfort, managing to widen her smile.

"Why not?" She asked, sweetly. "I'm not doing you any harm, am I? I got nobody else to talk to - so I thought I'd come down here and talk to someone. And I'm not disappointed by what I see, sugar." The guard stared, drinking in her words. He looked as though he couldn't believe his luck. Betrayed by his ears and eyes, hearing and seeing the sultry voice and pose of Zafrina, he nervously moved forward.

"Well, your highness... I must say, you're..." he was now close, a few feet away, moving forward constantly. Subtly, Zafrina moved back a few inches, so that he continued to move right where she wanted him. After he was close, she sauntered forward, running her nails along his acne-scarred jaw, batting her sooty eyelashes. She parted her lips slightly, snaring him with her golden gaze. She had him.

"Very what?" She asked, silkily, pulling him closer by the shark-tooth necklace around his neck. But then her feathering touch hardened. Pushing his face away, she spun round, smacking him with her tail. He gasped in suprise, dropping his spear in shock. Zafrina elbowed him in the stomach, before shoving him through the open door - she then slammed it, before shoving his spear through the lock handle. The guard stared at her in shock, too surprised to react. "Nothing personal." She flashed another smile, before turning away, seizing the keys. Bay clutched his book to his chest, pressed against his cell bars as she shoved a key in the lock.

"What the -" he began, his silver eyes full of questions and wariness, as Zafrina began trying each key. In the adjacent cell, the guard was shouting in fury and utter betrayal, pulling at the bars.

"Your buddy Finn. No time to explain!" Zafrina insisted, relieved when she found the right key. She yanked the door open, grabbing him by the arm. "We should go." It was true. The guard was now reaching through the bars and awkwardly trying to pull the spear out - but then someone was coming down the stairs, for voices reached them. Zafrina gasped, realizing that the stairs were no longer an option. "Oh, squids!" She cried, seeing shadows as the merpeople approached. Sebastian was first around the corner - before they could move, he spotted Zafrina.

"What is going on?" He demanded, before letting out a stranged sqeauk, seeing Bay. "Seize him! Zafrina -" Sebastian rushed toward them, flanked by three merpeople. Then it was Bay's hand on her arm. He dodged to the left as the guards lunged, pulling Zafrina with him. Then they were rushing up the staircase, the crab and guards beginning to follow. "Stop! What in Neptune's name -" Sebastian obviously didn't know why Zafrina was helping Bay, but there was no time to explain.

As they sped up the stairs, Bay kept trying to ask questions, but Zafrina swam on, heart racing. But then they halted. Someone was coming down the staircase - voices, hearing the downstairs commotion. And they were getting louder - Zafrina and Bay were utterly trapped.

"Holy Neptune!" Zafrina slowed, in horror. "We're dead, we're dead!" Bay stared at her, bewildered, before he began looking around, searching for an escape. Then his eyes caught the walls - they were made of some form of dead, woven coral, with gaps showing the outside.

"Hold this!" He shoved his book into her arms, before digging his hands into one stalk, tearing it away - blue peered through, and Bay continued to pull coral awag. Getting the idea, Zafrina stuffed his book into her bag, before joining him, ripping away the dead coral. The hole enlarged, but it was still small. The sound of shouting closed in - they had seconds left. Bay suddenly pushed her out of the way, and then, to her shock, he began to repeatedly thrust his shoulder and side into the coral around the gap. Coral scraped his sides and face, and he winced, but Bay didn't subdue. He continued to throw his weight against the gap, and more coral splintered and fell. It groaned, weakening.

Sebastian and the guards whirled around the corner, and on the upper side, Adella and Alana appeared. Alana stared at Zafrina in shock. "Zafrina!" She cried, in confusion, as the guards lunged at the pair. Bay hesitated briefly, before Zafrina made a decision. Grabbing his arm, Zafrina plunged through the gap. Coral fragments exploded around them as their combined force broke through the wall. Zafrina began to drag Bay away, but then she looked back. Her heart pierced with grief at Alana's shrieks.

"I'm sorry!" Zafrina cried. Ignoring the sound of her mother's voice, Zafrina fled toward the boulders, dragging a bewildered and confused Bay with her.


	13. Escape from Atlantica

Melody had expected Zafrina to appear from the palace doors, or from the window - so when she came flying out of a staircase tower, it was a surprise. Even from their distance, Melody had heard Alana's shrieks, and they were still heard now. Zafrina was now racing toward Melody and Finn, with Bay close behind.

Bay had pale blonde hair, long and flowing for a merman. He was broader and a little more muscular than Finn, who was leaner and more lanky, but aside from this they were a similar height. He was lighter in complexion as well with a smattering of golden freckles, with a dark green tail, and silver eyes. They were confused and troubled at first, and then fearful as he saw the two figures in the darkness ahead. But then his eyes shone with joy, as Finn emerged from the shadows. "Finn!" He greeted, rushing to meet him.

"Bay, thank goodness!" Finn exclaimed, the warmth in his voice clear as he went to Bay. Melody swam past them, headed for her cousin.

"Zafrina! How did you do it?" She stared at her, in awe. "How..."

"I'm not proud of this, but... I had to flirt with him." Zafrina sounded annoyed, even more so annoyed when Melody giggled. "I called him 'sweet thing' - I can't believe he actually fell for it! I lured him in front of a cell entrance with _this voice_ -" at these words she did an impression - her voice was very honeyed and sultry. She then returned to her regular voice, rolling her eyes. "And then I pushed him into a cell, and locked the door. What an experience."

"Well, what matters is you saved Bay." Finn said, and the mermaids turned. "Thank you, Zafrina." Despite his hospitality, Zafrina's hostility was still present. Her eyes glittered with utter mistrust and suspicion.

"I don't trust either of you." She muttered, eyes narrowed, and Finn flinched. Bay tipped his head to the side.

"Then why did you save me? You owe me an explanation -" Bay's mouth suddenly snapped shut - his eyes were fixed on something in the distance. Melody needn't have turned, for she heard the shouts of her aunts, of guards and Sebastian. Zafrina seized her by the arm, dragging her along after Finn and Bay, who were tearing toward some rocks. Melody frantically swam to keep up, glancing over her shoulder. The voice owners were hurrying out of the palace, headed toward them, where they'd seen Zafrina and Bay go.

"What's possessed her?" Gasped Alana's distant voice. "Zafrina!" Zafrina didn't slow or let go of Melody's arm until they reached the rocks, but when she finally released her, she was covering her face.

"Oh, my mom's going to kill me." She peered through her fingers, to see Alana in hysterics - she was weeping now, lying on the seabed, while Arista tried to calm her. Melody could see the guilt in Zafrina's eyes. "I've made her cry."

"Look, I'm sure that once we get back..." Melody began to offer comfort, but then Bay shushed them. He pointed outwards, and the four merpeople shrunk behind the boulders as some guards drew closer. "This way." Melody whispered, seeing a thin gap in the rocks. With Finn bringing up the rear, Melody lead the three into the gap. It was narrow, and Bay muttered when his broad shoulders scratched at the sides. After a few meandering turns, the gap widened, and they were out, behind the boulder pile.

Melody crept along, hugging the shadows, before peeking around the edge of the rocks. Finn weaved around Zafrina and Bay, looking over her shoulder. "What are we going to do? It's open water! They'll see us making a break for it." Finn was right. Around the boulders, it was a wide stretch of sand between the entrance and exit tunnel of Atlantica. That was the closest way toward the border.

By now, more merpeople were emerging from the palace - her other aunts, dozens more guards. It was now or never. "Okay, okay..." Melody tucked some hair strands behind her ears, watching the entrance. "We go... on three." She looked at the others, looking for their agreement - they were nodding in unison. Zafrina reluctantly looked back, at Alana, before twitching and whirling around, eyes fixed on the entrance. Bay swung his arms, like a runner preparing to sprint. "One, two..." Melody screwed her eyes closed. "Three!"

Melody raced over the seabed, as fast as her fins could carry her. Within moments, she heard shouting. They had been spotted. "Stop right there!" Shouted a mermaid.

"Hurry!" Zafrina exclaimed, from the front. The agile mermaid was in the lead, her tail a mint-green blur. Bay was in second, with Melody close behind. Finn swam alongside Melody, not going as fast as his potential, so not to surpass her or Bay. Then, out of no where, a yellow-tailed merman travelled like a blur. With a burst of speed, he lunged, seizing Finn by the tail.

The two mermen tumbled across the sand - the guard's spear was lost in the inferno, drifting to the seabed. Finn writhed on the sand, struggling to be free, as the yellow-tailed merman pinned him down. Melody stopped, glancing in horror from Finn to Bay and Zafrina, who hadn't noticed what had happened, and had disappeared into the tunnel. "Go, I'll take care of it!" Finn gasped. But Melody didn't go ahead. She seized the spear, whirling it around so that the sharp end wouldn't strike. With the butt end of the spear, she brought it down on the guard's side.

Immediately, the guard howled in pain, clutching his side from the force of Melody's strike. Finn took the opportunity, wriggling free, smacking him in the face with his fins as he went. He snatched Melody's hand, and darted for the tunnel. Melody's heart raced with adrenaline - she felt some guilt, but at the same time, a small rush of pride at being able to subdue the merman. But then the pride evaporated.

"Melody! Don't do this!" Shrieked the unmistakable voice of Andrina. "You can't trust them - look what they did to me! And your parents! What would they say?"

"Tell them I apologize!" Melody retorted, not looking back, before she entered the tunnel. Finn hurried along, this time swimming at his full speed. Melody was shocked at how speedy he was, even with her slowing him down - she barely had to swim, however, since he still held her hand. They raced through the empty tunnel, hand-in-hand, and when the blue patch ahead was revealed to be the tunnel entrance, Melody was relieved.

"Now _that_ was speed." Melody heard Bay's voice ahead; emerging from the tunnel, Melody and Finn found Bay brushing his blonde hair from his eyes, while an annoyed and unimpressed Zafrina faced way, arms crossed. Ignoring Bay, she turned to Melody and Finn.

"Er... what is that?" Zafrina's look of irritance faded, seeing what Melody held in her other hand - she realized that she still held the spear. She looked down, wondering over whether to keep it. She snapped the sharp end off, tossing the rest of the stick away. Melody handed it to Zafrina.

"Could you hold onto that, in your bag? It could come in handy."

"Oh, good." Zafrina grumbled, begrudgingly taking it. "As if one weapon wasn't creepy enough." She glared at the knife at Finn's waist, and his eyes flashed with hurt.

"Hey!" Melody protested. "That's unfair. We're going into the unclaimed land. We might need something to defend ourselves with, and you may have to improve your attitude, if we're going to be travelling together."

"Huh?" Bay paused, his fingers pausing at a knot in his long hair. Finn turned to him, and took him to the side, rapidly explaining. While Bay began to whisper his concerns, Zafrina faced Melody.

"I highly doubt-" she began, but Melody interrupted.

"Zafrina, this isn't going to work if you don't have a little faith. This prejudice you have of Nia's people is getting on my nerves." She narrowed her blue eyes. "Look, this journey could be from a few days to a few weeks. This trip is happening with these guys, whether you like it or not. And look at them!" She glanced at Finn and Bay. "Do they look anywhere near as dangerous as the mermen we encountered in the club?

"You know what Nia tells her people to do to humans!" Zafrina whispered, in a breathy voice. "What if they find out?"

"A, they won't, and B -" Melody hesitated, her voice suddenly lost. It caught in her throat, and her tongue seemed swollen, as she struggled to speak normally. "I.. I don't think they're still loyal... they've been kicked out and.. a-and..."

"You hypocrite." Zafrina hissed. She glared at her, eyes blazing in frustration. "You're clearly afraid of them as well. I can see it, so don't you deny it!" Melody couldn't hide the truth from Zafrina. She looked down, ashamed.

"Okay. Maybe I am." She admitted with guilt, fiddling with her bracelet. "But the difference is I've given them a chance. You need to trust me, and trust them... at least try to get to know _Bay_ , alright? He's got to be grateful to you for breaking him out, and I'm sure he'll be easier for you to befriend -"

"I'm up for it!" Bay's exclamation halted the heated conversation. Unaware of their discussion, he grinned widely. Melody blinked in suprise - that was unbelievably easy. "I've never been fond of Nia... I'll join you on the trip, for sure." Either Finn had spectacular persuasion skills, or Bay was easy-going and loyal to his friend, willing to go in this trip out of the blue. If he was worried or afraid of the journey ahead, he did a marvellous job of hiding it. Melody looked at Finn with a grateful smile.

"Are you sure?" Finn asked, in concern, once he'd smiled back. "It'll be -"

"Dangerous?" Bay replied. "That's my middle name. Well, technically it's not, but... anyway, enough about me. If this is happening - you're Zafrina, and you're Melody, right? Funny, I never knew Triton had a granddaughter named Melody." Bay thought nothing of it, however. He and Finn went to go, but before Melody could follow, Zafrina grabbed her arm.

"See!" Zafrina muttered. "When they find out..."

"Oh, shut up." Melody said, losing patience. She then began to follow the boys, with a simmering Zafrina close behind.

 _Meanwhile_

The lock of hair had finally arrived. Despite being delivered by a speedy marlin as promised by Otan, Nia had been incredibly impatient, pacing in her room until it arrived. The hair was now suspended in the water, as the queen examined it with her magic. The hair shot into a bowl, before Nia threw in a crimson powder. The powder exploded upon contact, and it swarmed upwards like a shoal of moonfish.

Nia peered into the powder, grey eyes narrowed as she searched the redness for change. Then, the powder shifted. The mist swirled upwards, and then it took a form of a scarlet, faceless merman. There was no eyes, no mouth, no nose - just a red face, with no expression. "So. You possess a piece of the girl - can you tell me what she is?" The faceless merman floated before her, in silence. Nia paced, clearly impatient.

"A young mermaid, of seventeen. Her form is a lie." The voice sounded distant, like an echo. "She has fins and a tail. But I see more. I see..." The voice paused, as if it struggled to see what secrets were hidden in the lock of black hair.

"What?" Nia demanded. "Spit it out."

"Her blood is strange." The red merman answered immediately. "She carries merfolk blood, but the rest is... not of the sea." It took a few moments for Nia to attach a meaning to this, but then she realized a possible solution. Her eyes widened, and her teeth suddenly gritted. Instead of normal teeth, she had bizarrely sharp ones, creul and fang-like. She had created a spell to make them sharp, so that she could bite into her victims.

"She is half-human?" Nia stared at the redness, but then the mist evaporated, leaving nothing but an empty bowl. Nia shrieked in rage, realizing that she had used the whole lock of hair. Now it was impossible to see the girl's whereabouts.

At her shriek, the door flew open. "Queen Nia?" A tall merman raced in. His bulbous nose was bruised and slightly-off center. His eyes glittered with mean spirit, and despite his large muscles, he was hideous to look at. His scraggly hair rested on his large head.

"Otan!" Nia grunted, spinning around. "Just the merman I wanted to see. It's just as I feared..."


	14. Seaweed field

"I don't like this." Said Zafrina, as they passed over the border. Melody followed her, heart beating rapidly. Behind was the glowing sands and corals of Atlantica, and now, a dismal unclaimed land lay between them and Neptune's Scar. A long, flat and uninteresting stretch of sand lay spread out for a few metres, marking the edge of the kingdom. Between them and the open water was a vast field of seaweed - like a forest, the seaweed grew a few feet taller than Finn. A rough path had been picked through it between the waving arms of green weed, and several silver fish weaved throughout the leaves.

"As much as I hate to say it, I think we should go through the seaweed." Bay said, from behind. Melody glanced over her shoulder, where the blonde merman floated beside Finn. Finn was gazing into the distance, with an worried expression, and Melody couldn't blame him - she was asking so much of him. "We don't want to draw too much attention to ourselves, and the seaweed will provide cover."

"But look at it!" Zafrina protested, looking into the green plants with fear. "Anything could be lurking in there..." After a brief argument, the four merpeople reluctantly entered the seaweed field. Finn was wary, as he followed the others. Up ahead, Bay swam behind Zafrina, who kept her distance. Despite Zafrina's strong objections, the seaweed field was the best way to the border, because ever since their escape from Atlantica, merpeople had been everywhere, out searching. Occasionally, Melody and Zafrina's names were shouted in the distance.

Finn looked over his shoulder, to see Melody at the back, eyes resting on the sea floor. Ever since their escape, she had barely uttered a word. He slowed, until he was closer to her than he was to Zafrina and Bay. "Are you alright? You seem..."

"I'm okay." Melody shrugged off his concerns. "Thinking about home." _Where is home?_ She wondered, briefly, to herself. That reminded her. Melody glanced sideways at Finn. "So... after this is over, what happens to you? Will your kingdom take you back?"

"Oh, I don't know. If we were to get a new ruler, maybe I'd be allowed back in, depending on who it is... but if Nia stays in power, no chance. She's not a very forgiving mermaid." Finn was thinking deeply, sea-green eyes narrowed as he frowned. "I don't belong there. No family... it's not a very cheerful place. I've never really belonged anywhere. I'm not sure where I belong."

"I know how you feel." Melody murmured, eyes downcast.

"Really?" Finn looked and sounded surprised. "A princess doesn't know where she belongs?" Melody nodded in reply. "Where do you actually come from, Melody? I'm not too sure." Her eyes flashed, and she suddenly swam faster.

"How much further until we're in open water, Z?" She asked, casually, trying not to notice Finn's look of puzzlement.

Meanwhile, Bay swam a few feet behind the leading Zafrina. Luckily for him, Finn had had one of Bay's simple black hair ties, so his blonde hair wasn't constantly getting into his face. Bay didn't mind having his hair down, but loosely tying it back was practical for constant swimming. His parents had never been too fussy about cutting their son's hair.

Yasmina and Aramis had been great parents to him. Both renowned and respected warriors, they had been highly prized by Nia. Yasmina was lithe and skilled with all manner of weapons, while Aramis's natural muscular physique had granted him incredible strength. They had been good friends with Finn's mother, so when she had died when they were six, Yasmina and Aramis had raised Finn along with Bay for ten years. What had happened at the end of those ten years? That would haunt Bay forever.

Three or four years ago, both Bay and Finn had been sixteen. A few months before, Yasmina and Aramis had been called away to war in another kingdom, and on this day, the triumphant army had returned. Bay and Finn had waited, watching tired parents returning to their children. They had waited... and waited. So when the final warriors had passed, Bay had begun to follow, sure he had missed them. But then a merman had approached, looking grave.

They had died a warriors' death, apparently. 'Fighting the enemy', 'for their brothers and sisters'. Bay hadn't been able to say goodbye, because the bodies hadn't been retrieved for him. They had been placed into a nearby crevice not unlike Neptune's Scar. He had almost torn his book up in his grief, but Finn had stopped him.

Bay missed Yasmina and Aramis terribly - it was like swimming with half a tail, even three years after their deaths. But then, he had managed to subdue his grief, knowing they wouldn't want him to mourn for too long. He suppressed a sigh, and shook his head, swimming faster for he had fallen behind.

Bay wasn't sure about the journey. Now that they were on their way, he was terrified. Since they had volunteered to go on the post, Bay had been planning to persuade Finn to flee the kingdom with him, because it was such a grim place. Maybe they could head south, to a tropical kingdom, where nobody would judge them for being Nia's former people. Maybe he could find a mermaid, have a real life - no fighting, no training, just living and not having to worry about being attacked by enemies or bullied by Otan. Bay dreaded to think of what would happen, should they be confronted by the merman with the off-center nose. Bay wished he had gone to the underwater club - not to go, but to see Finn punching Otan.

"Here we are - it's thinning out." Zafrina's voice stirred him from his thoughts. He glanced ahead, seeing the graceful flick of her mint-green tail, before it smacked him lightly on the face. He heard her utter an apology, but he wasn't sure as to whether it was intentional or not. What was wrong with her? She had broken him out of the cell, but what was with this treatment?

"Sorry about her." Murmured Melody, swimming past him. "Zafrina just doesn't like strangers." That was an understatement. Zafrina hated their male companions with a burning passion. As the two mermaids went ahead, Bay slowed, to swim alongside Finn.

"Look, I don't know if I like this anymore." He whispered, in worry, about to voice his concern. But then he spotted something on the seaweed roots, glistening gold. He recalled seeing it on Melody's wrist - the braided metal, with the red jewel. "Melody! Did you drop something?" Bay swam down, and picked it up, admiring the detail in the braids. He blinked, thinking for a moment he saw writing in the surface of the gemstone. Melody looked over her shoulder in confusion; but then, as she spotted the bracelet, her light blue eyes suddenly flooded with horror. Bay was distracted from reading the message, for Melody came whizzing toward him, a red and black blur.

"Give me that!" She barged through the seaweed to get to Bay, before she snatched it from his palm, grazing him with her nails as she did. Bay retreated in surprise, shocked at the frantic move; he crashed into Finn, who went flying into the seaweed with a gasp. Bay would have gone to help him, but instead, he was prevented from doing so by the expression on the red-tailed mermaid's face. Her face was almost white.

"Whoa, what's wrong with you?" He asked, staring at her in bewilderment. Her eyes were frantic, darting mostly towards the surface far above, and toward her tail fins. Her fingers trembled as she rushed to put the bracelet back on her wrist.

"Nothing!" Melody insisted, in a high-pitched voice. Ahead, Zafrina appeared from the seaweed.

"What's going on back here?" She demanded, glancing from Melody to Bay with suspicion, while Finn emerged from the side, his hands studded with grit and sand. He flinched, trying to extract the seabed matter from his skin. Melody stared at him, with obvious guilt.

"Nothing, Zafrina. Just... just an accident." Melody then whipped round, and tore ahead. Zafrina abandoned Bay and Finn, chasing after her, for she had swum the wrong way. Bay looked at Finn, who stared back with utter shock.

"What just happened?" Bay asked, in bewilderment. Finn blinked, pausing from extracting the grit from his hand, trying to figure out why Melody had reacted so much over a piece of jewellery.


	15. Trust

Melody toyed with the bracelet, careful not to turn the ruby coloured gemstone. The braided gold twinkled in the palm of her hand, as she gazed into the translucent jewel. The bracelet reminded her of her grandfather - her heart twisted with worry. This journey was going to be so dangerous. _Whatever will I say once I get back? Mom'll be furious._ A sinister, taunting voice entered her head. _If you get back,_ it sneered, as she uneasily reattached the bracelet.

Melody shivered as a cold current washed over her. She wrapped her arms around herself, and curled up tighter, trying to edge closer to Zafrina for warmth. Zafrina slept in silence, as she always did - she didn't snore. Her arm was slung over her head, her brown and gold hair lying across her eyes, sleeping on her back. Her long, mint-green tail fins hung over the edge of the rock they were settled on. Bay was stretched out on the floor, his blonde hair, like Zafrina's, loose and covering his face. A piece of silvery hair across his lips drifted up and down as he breathed, his snores quiet.

They had found this cave - similar to her mother's grotto, secluded and hidden, it seemed like a good place to sleep in for the night. A shaft of moonlight streamed in from a hole in the ceiling, turning Finn's dark brown hair to silver. She watched him in silence, fascinated at how the moon transformed him from a living being into sculpted marble.

Finn was a few feet from Bay, arms behind his head, also stretched out on the floor. The shadows danced across his lanky frame, as a patch of seaweed drifted over and off the ceiling gap. He had good skin for an eighteen, at a push nineteen-year old merman - no fading acne scars from puberty. His olive complexion was smooth and unmarked, with the exception of a slightly darker splash under his left eye - a cherry-sized birth mark, which she hadn't noticed before. Suddenly, unexpectedly, his eyes fluttered open, revealing the sea-green depths. He moved his head to look her way. Melody swiftly closed her eyes, hoping he wouldn't notice that she had been watching him. His face hovered in her mind.

"I know you're awake, Melody." He said, softly. Peering through her eyelashes, she saw how Finn watched her, eyes glittering with intensity, waiting for her eyelids to move. Annoyed at her poor attempt of pretending to sleep, Melody opened her eyes, looking steadily at his face. "Can't sleep?" He asked, quietly, so not to awaken Zafrina or Bay.

"Not really." Melody answered. It was true. She had been lying on the rock for almost an hour, trying to let her fatigue consume her, but had been unsuccessful. She felt wide awake, no matter how hard she tried, or how many imaginary manatees she counted. Finn propped himself up on his elbows, gazing at her.

"Do you want to talk?" He offered. "Come out on a swim, to the surface maybe?" Melody hesitated, but as she looked into his eyes, she was unable to resist the offer.

"Sure. I could do with a little surface time." She carefully edged away from Zafrina, before swimming up through the ceiling gap, Finn following a few moments later. Melody headed for the rippling water sky, a wobbling and ragged white shape indicating that the moon was out.

Melody broke the surface of the ocean with sealed eyelids, feeling the cool night air wash over her like an Autumn rain. She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with coolness, before she opened her eyes. It was dark - the sky was as black as her hair, broken by a scattering of stars and a half moon. The water rose and fell around her, gentle and calming. Finn then emerged, sweeping his wet hair out of his eyes, blinking in the starlight. Melody playfully flicked some water at his fave with her tail fins, before she floated on her back, watching the sky, while Finn drifted alongside her. Melody gazed at the sky, finding the constellations.

"If you don't mind me asking, Melody." Finn broke into her thoughts. "Why did you freak out earlier? Over the... the bracelet?" Melody stiffened, suddenly remembering what happened earlier. Seeing the bracelet in Bay's grasp had terrified her, and she hadn't stopped to think, acting out of the terror of being transformed so far from the surface. What could she say? Would she have to lie to him? Before she could stop herself, words emerged.

"It... it's my great-great-grandmother's." Melody said the first thing that came into her head. More confident, Melody expanded on her story. "It's precious - over fifty years old, family heirloom, on my father's side." The key to a good lie apparently laid in details.

"Your great-great grandmother?" Finn asked - Melody detected the confusion and slight doubt, but if he thought she wasn't telling the truth, he didn't mention it. "I see. Didn't want to risk it breaking?" Belief finally broke through into his voice. "Well, it is lovely, and I assure you, Bay wouldn't break it. And it's in very good condition, if it's that old. Looks brand new."

"Thank you." Melody smiled, turning her head toward him. There were a couple moments of silence, before she spoke. "I... I don't know anything about you. Not really. What's your family like?" But as soon as she asked the question, Melody regretted it. Finn looked at her with agonized eyes, and Melody cursed herself. "I'm sorry. Too... too personal?" _Too painful?_

"No." Said Finn, curtly. "Its just..." but Melody was surprised by what happened next. Unexpectedly, Finn then turned in the water, and disappeared with a flick of his tail. Melody lay there, bobbing in the waves, stunned and baffled.

"What did I say?" She asked herself, staring at the spot where he had been a few moments ago. _Did something happen to his family?_ A voice in her head offered. Melody dived beneath the waves, scanning the dark seabed - maybe he had gone back to the cave? She made her way down, entering the cave through the ceiling gap, before she was disappointed to see that he wasn't there. "Oh, Finn." She shook her head, feeling the guilt making itself known, but then a shadow passed over her. Melody glanced up, and saw something dark passing over the surface.

Briefly forgetting Finn, out of curiousity, she swam upwards, but on her way, she identified the shape as the underside of a ship. Reminded of her human heritage, Melody broke the surface once more, watching the ship from a distance. Women and men danced aboard, and instruments reached her ears. She thought she'd feel longing, wanting to return to being human, but as she watched their legs twirl, Melody found the thought of legs unappealing. The question she had been asking herself everyday since she had returned to the sea was made again. _Where do I belong? On land, or in the sea?_

As she considered this, Melody felt a hand upon her shoulder. Jumping, she looked around, to come face-to-face with Finn. "Finn?" She was relieved. "Thank goodness, are you alright? I'm sorry if I was out of line..." Melody looked at him, studying his expression. His eyes were pained, as was his face.

"No, no." Finn shook his head. He hesitated, before he ran his hand through his hair. His eyes flickered from her to the ship, with nervousness. "We should go. They'll see us."

"There's nothing to be afraid of - humans and merfolk are at peace." Melody protested, glancing back at the ship.

"Your Atlantican merfolk and those nearby humans may be. But this isn't Atlantica." Finn reminded her. Under the water, his hand twitched slightly, moving toward her hand, but it didn't connect. "Look. This is the truth. I'm afraid of humans, Melody. I was taught to... to fear them. By Nia." Melody stiffened at Nia's name.

"You shouldn't fear them. Nia's wrong." Melody said, not taking her eyes off the ship. "You don't understand humans like I do." She briefly wondered if humans had something to do with Finn's family, but something told her that wasn't true. Finn then sank down, into the water. With one last glance at her old life, she dipped beneath the waves, and they began swimming downwards. But then, Finn looked away after a moment of silence. The haunting question wouldn't escape unanswered.

"I... I have no family, Melody. Not anymore." Finn's eyes glazed over, while Melody was silent, as she attached a meaning to this. Finally, she understood. She slowed, until they both stopped, facing each other.

"Oh." Melody said, quietly, and Finn nodded slowly, his Adam's apple rising and falling as he swallowed hard. Her voice stuck in her throat, but then she managed to form words. "All of them?"

"My dad didn't stick around when I was born. My mother's sister couldn't care less." Finn flinched at the mention of his aunt - his eyes glistened briefly. "But my mom..." silence. "She was killed, Melody. When I was six... I watched her die." Melody stared at Finn. A new wave of understanding and pity manifested itself, somewhere in her core, adding to something else. The trust she had for Finn, which had been burdened by a large gap, suddenly grew. But then sympathy and horror pulled at Melody's heartstrings, as she had an image of a six-year old merboy, clinging onto his mother's body.

"Oh, Finn. I'm sorry." Melody's heart was moved. She wrapped her arms around Finn, head on his shoulder, as she embraced him. Finn was tense beneath her, but then the tension melted away as he returned the hug. "What was she like?" She asked, gently. Finn sighed, both with pain, and both with the wondrous feeling of an embrace.

"The best mother I could ask for. Kind, caring, maternal. Her name was Merissa." Finn replied. "That's all I want to say about it, for now." Melody finally pulled away from Finn, although their eyes didn't disconnect. She studied his face again, before her fingers traced his birth mark, just below the corner of his left eye, sitting over his cheek bone.

"I never noticed that until earlier." She admitted, looking at the darker splash of skin. "And I'm sure Merissa is proud of you."

"I wish I could say I believe you." Finn said, head sunk. Melody tipped his chin up.

"You'd better believe me, because there's something about you, Finn. I trust you." The words came easily to her lips. A shaft of moonlight streamed down from the surface, briefly illuminating the two merpeople, before their eye contact was broken. "Come on. We should head back, and try and get some sleep. And I'll apologize to Bay, about how I reacted earlier." Melody then turned away, heading for the cave.

Finn watched her go, suddenly wishing the hug had lasted longer. Nobody, other than Bay or Merissa, had ever treated him like that before - nobody had shown him such sympathy and genuine understanding. She trusted him - something he had spent most of his life trying to earn from other merpeople. She was one of the few who saw through his kingdom's reputation.

There was something very special about a mermaid like that.


	16. Shipwreck

Zafrina reluctantly followed Melody, Finn, and Bay. Since this morning, Melody and Finn had been swimming close together, and Zafrina was not impressed. She was waiting for a patrol of Nia's people to ambush them, for Finn and Bay to drop their hospitable and innocent act, and reveal a poisonous interior. Zafrina was absolutely sure that their decent personalities were simply acting. _And they're doing a marvellous job of it_ , she thought, scornfully.

She couldn't believe how convincing Finn and Bay were. Even she, as much as she hated to admit it, was falling for the scam. _What if it's not a scam?_ suggested a distant voice, but Zafrina shook her head to herself. _They must be lying. They must be lying..._ Zafrina repeated the words in her mind. Finn was able to pull the kelp over Melody's eyes, but he wouldn't fool her. Finn seemed to be the leader of this whole scheme.

Why wasn't Bay trying to get involved? If he was included, why wasn't Bay asking any questions? There was something about Bay she didn't like - he was quiet, other than when he was talking to Finn. It was as if he was keeping secrets, in her opinion. Why did she bother carrying his book? Whenever he was asleep, Zafrina would look through the drawings, searching for signs of a psychopath or an evil soldier, like Nia's people. But there were no horrible drawings. No skulls, no bones, no gruesome border markers Nia was so famous for. Zafrina slowed.

 _You sound... so mean and prejudiced right now._ Zafrina and her sisters had spent a lot of time in their father's tropical Southern kingdom, spending time with numerous elderly relatives. Her elderly relatives had old and prejudiced views of other kingdoms, and as a result, maybe Zafrina had picked up these views. Zoe, Zaidee, and Zelda weren't as accepting of certain kingdoms, either. For the first time, Zafrina realized the regretful feeling. _Guilt._

Maybe Melody was right. Maybe Finn and Bay were genuine. _You can't take any chances... but maybe you could at least_ try _and warm up to them?_ Zafrina had to admit, she had been acting a little frostily. The whole upsetting her mother, abandoning her family and becoming a fugitive in her own kingdom had placed her into a bit of a mood, so it wasn't her entire fault.

Zafrina tried to focus on swimming. They were swimming close to the seabed, where dully coloured starfish moved sluggishly along. Crabs snapped their claws aggressively at the four merpeople, for it wasn't often that merfolk passed through. The seabed was littered with stones and seaplants, and a few boulders and taller seaweeds bordered their path. She paused, spotting a battered object. She identified it as an anchor - an old one, judged by the rust, fluffy sea moss and old barnacles. A broken chain dangled from it, also covered in seaplants. Zafrina reached out to touch the anchor, but then stopped herself, seeing the creatures clinging to it. The others hadn't notices the human object.

"Can we take a break?" Melody asked, up ahead. "I just need a minute..." Melody wasn't used to long swimming, having spent relatively little of her life as a mermaid. Finn and Bay didn't know that, of course.

They slowed to a stop. Melody drifted to the sandbed, head back, as she rested. Finn had his dagger out, and he was cleaning the blade. Zafrina narrowed her eyes, and Finn felt her glare. He looked up, in frustration. "How long will it take for you to trust me?" He asked, hiding his anger. "If it makes you feel better, you can carry it."

"No, it's fine." Zafrina said, quickly. Bay glanced from Zafrina to Finn and Melody, watching the frosty atmosphere with dismay. The conversation between Finn and Melody faded out, as Zafrina refocused on the anchor. As she studied it, it was then that Zafrina noticed something in the distance, behind it. Zafrina blinked, thinking it to be a long brown pole. With a glance at the others, Zafrina stole away through the seaweed, unaware of Bay's curious glance.

Zafrina approached the pole, before realising that the seabed ended abruptly, dropping into a steep cliff. A large, deep scar in the seafloor greeted her. Zafrina then realized that the pole was longer now. Several metres long, interrupted by a crow's nest and a broken set of masts. Ragged sails flapped with the currents, brown and torn. The skeleton was immense, perched on the edge of a crevice in the sea floor.

 _A shipwreck._ The word registered in her mind. Her aunt Ariel had apparently spent much of her youth exploring these things, when she had been a mermaid. The corpse of the ship was ghostly - punctures and scars plagued the wooden surface, indicating it's age. But despite this, Zafrina, having never seen a shipwreck, was intrigued. Her curiosity rising, she held her purple shoulder bag tight, and swam downwards.

Zafrina paused before entering the shipwreck, wondering over whether entering it was a good idea. Anything could be in there. She hesitated, before swallowing hard, squeezing through a hole in the old deck. Zafrina cursed when her hips were initially unable to fit through the small gap, but after some wriggling, her hips finally scraped through.

She looked around, realizing that she was in a corridor. Broken crates were thrown across the deck, and former shelves half-hung from the walls. The corridor was mostly empty, with doors hanging off their hinges or flat on the floor. Fish swum around, small and silver, and things crawled across the floor.

Zafrina was about to swim down the corridor, toward a surviving door, but then the eerie silence was broken by a grunt. Her hand shot into her bag, finding the broken spear tip Melody had given her after their escape from Atlantica. Her neck hairs on end, Zafrina whipped around, the point risen threateningly.

"Whoa, whoa! It's only me!" Pale hair and a pair of arms hung down. Bay's head and torso were upside-down, and he stared at her in alarm. Her racing heart slowed slightly.

"Oh, for goodness sake, Bay! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Zafrina gasped, shoving the spear tip into her bag. She looked at him in annoyance. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Finn was talking to Melody, and I saw you leave, so..." Bay's voice trailed off, and he gave her an innocent smile. "Sorry. I was curious, but... why are you here?"

"Same as you. Curiosity." Zafrina replied, curtly.

"I see." Bay nodded. "Well... would you mind helping me through the gap? You had to choose the smallest gap in the deck..." Zafrina looked at Bay, trying to look less amused than she really was, for the sight of an upside-down Bay was quite entertaining.

"You're helpless, Bay." Zafrina reluctantly took his arms, and pulled. She frowned, and pulled harder. "You're stuck, man... try and wriggle a bit, maybe?" Bay attempted to squeeze through the gap. The boards creaked, and dust fell down. "What's wrong with this?" Zafrina pulled Bay more. "For goodness sake -" Zafrina yanked hard, with all her might, as Bay simultaneously tried to force himself through the gap.

Suddenly, Bay came shooting through the deck like soap. Both Bay and Zafrina went crashing, head-over-tail, across the floor with cries of shock. Zafrina thumped down on her back, and something heavy landed on top of her. "Ouch." She muttered, before opening her eyes, which had been screwed closed. Creamy strands of hair hung down, brushing her cheeks, cloaking Bay's face. His silver eyes, like quartz, blinked down at her.

"Er... this is awkward." He stared down at Zafrina, briefly captured by the gold of her eyes.

"Get off, you lump!" Zafrina exclaimed, cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"Oh, sorry!" Bay quickly rose, taking her hand and pulling her up off the floor. Zafrina was unintentionally pressed against his torso; she was surprised at the solidness of muscle. Her cheeks flaming, Zafrina awkwardly backed away.

"Let's pretend that never happened." Zafrina mumbled, arms behind her back. She looked away, skin crawling with unease. "Can't you go back now? I'll be fine."

"Oh, come on. I just spent all that effort getting through the deck... besides, this place seems dodgy." Bay's eyes flickered across the corridor. "And I'm pretty sure your cousin would kill me if something happened to you."

"Nothing's going to happen." Zafrina insisted, in annoyance, but Bay didn't budge. She looked around in frustration. "Oh... fine. Stick around if you want. But don't feel as though you have to stay." She turned, swimming down the corridor, but she was aware that Bay was following a few feet behind. Zafrina tried to ignore his presence, focusing on the door ahead. Somehow, it was still intact despite it's age. She reached forward, grasping the door handle, and pulled it down. The door let out a sharp sqeaul initially, before it faded to a groan. Slowly, Zafrina pushed it open, and ducked into the room. Bay followed, and Zafrina tried not to laugh when she heard him hit his head on the frame.

The room was inhabited by a large, ancient human bed, and the whole room was lined by old cabinets, doors broken and covered on barnacles. Small fish weaved in and out of the cabinets, and various seaplants conquered the room. Ragged curtains were half-pulled across the window, and the glass in it was, where it wasn't shattered, cracked. Looking through the window, the deck stretched out, sparse and empty. Zafrina went to the bed, inspecting what was left of the quilt, which was damaged by holes and tears. A pair of what humans called shoes lay on the floor.

"Spooky." Bay said, behind her.

"Don't be such a wuss." Zafrina muttered, a bit more meaningfully than she should have. Bay's eyes flashed with hurt.

"You know, if we're going to be travelling together, maybe you should try and be a bit less mean." Bay wanted to befriend Zafrina, but it was proving hard. Befriending her was like trying to befriend a sea cliff - she wouldn't let him in. She tried to annoy or belittle him or Finn every chance she got, because she hated the journey and she hated their kingdom. She didn't trust either of them. "Can't you just try and warm up to us? We're not going to hurt you or Melody."

"And how can I know that?" Zafrina whirled around, and came close to his face, looking angry. Bay tried to ignore how her long eyelashes casted shadows on her high cheek bones. Her eyes were a dazzling shade of liquid gold, a colour he thought couldn't appear in merfolk eyes. He watched her angry face in dismay. _Someone so beautiful shouldn't be so angry,_ he thought.

"You can start by getting to know us. The more you start trusting us, the sooner you'll realize that we're not spies -" Bay couldn't stop himself. Words tumbled out of his mouth. "My parents were killed in a pointless war Nia started! Do you honestly think I'd want to fight for her cause?" He froze.

Zafrina blinked at Bay. "I didn't... I didn't know that." She backed away. "Heck. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Forget it." Bay turned away, and distracted himself by swimming over to a shelf. He tried to see if there was anything worth drawing in his book, while Zafrina guiltily turned away. She then saw another door, and, with another glance at Bay, opened it.

This room was smaller, and filled with creative things - paintings, and sculptures. She whistled slightly. "Whoever owned this thing had an artistic side." Zafrina remarked to herself. She paused, seeing a life-size sculpture of a human, at the back of the room. Fascinated, she went to it. It was shielded by a glass sheet - the sculpture was nude, of a woman's upper torso. Her lower half was hiddened by stacks of boxes. Zafrina then saw a male sculpture, a few feet away, also partially hidden by stacks of boxes. Behind the glass, he was painted.

But as Zafrina got closer, she realized that there was something strange about this sculpture. He seemed... different. The woman had a serene face, but there was something angry about his. His face looked pinched, and permanently furious. He seemed unusually muscular - almost too muscular to be natural. His face was marked by scars, carved into familiar symbols. _He looks... freakishly realistic. And familiar._ Suddenly, Zafrina realized. _Too realistic._ His scraggly hair drifted in the current - he wasn't made of stone.

Her lips parted to form Bay's name, but then the glass was shoved aside, and the 'sculpture' burst into life. The boxes clattered to the floor, and she realized he wasn't human at all, for he had a tail. Otan sprang forward, crashing into her, grabbing her by the throat. Immediately, her air was cut off.

Zafrina tried to scream for Bay, but all she managed was a strangled choke. Otan shoved her brutally against the wall, and she writhed beneath him, trying to free her arms, which Otan had imprisoned in his other hand. He flashed his crooked teeth in a sinister grin. "Too far from your home kingdom, granddaughter of Triton." He sneered. Zafrina's lungs screamed for air. Her eye whites were going pink, and the skin on her throat was changing colour under Otan's grasp. Otan grinned. "It's a shame, to get rid of someone so gorgeous. Maybe if you were to tell me what red-tail is, I'll let you go. So... what is she? Nia's dying to know." Zafrina's struggles weakened. "Or maybe I'll take you to her. You can tell her yourself!" Zafrina's floundering tail then struck a statue. It wobbled briefly - but then it crashed to the ground with an ear-splitting crack.

Bay heard the noise. Turning, he saw an open door - before he heard the sound of a strangled choking. He raced to the door, only to be horrified by the scene before him. Zafrina was crushed to the wall, her mouth parted as she gasped for air. Her neck was smothered by a hand, and he saw the blackening skin underneath. He didn't have to see Otan's face to know it was him - the scraggly hair and muscle was unmistakable. Without hesitation, Bay seized a wooden board, and slammed it into the back of the merman's head.

Zafrina was freed the moment the board connected with Otan's skull. She slid down the wall, clutching her throat, as Otan crumpled to the floor, eyes closed. Bay hovered over the older merman, breathing hard, clutching the board, preparing to slam it down again. However, Otan was unconscious - he didn't move again. Bay heard voices above the deck, at the sound of commotion.

Bay swept Zafrina up from the floor. "Zafrina? Zafrina!" He cried, urgently, staring at her face. Her eyes were closed, but she was gasping for breath - she was limp, like a doll. She clutched onto her neck, struggling to breathe. Seizing her bag, Bay fled the room, with Zafrina locked in his arms.


	17. Changes of allegiance

Bay punched furiously at the wood surrounding the hole in the deck, widening the gap - he bit his lip, to ignore the feeling of splinters attacking his knuckles. He ripped the planks aside, until he could fit himself and Zafrina through. As he gathered the unconscious mermaid into his arms again, the door down the corridor was thrown open. Otan fell through it, clinging onto his head in agony. "You traitor!" He barked. "I'll kill you! I'll rip out your eyes!" He tried to lunge toward Bay, but he went spinning into a wall, for the force of the board on his head had made him dizzy.

Bay didn't waste energy replying - he broke through the gap, and swam for it. Mermen and mermaids from his kingdom swarmed the deck, so when he exploded through the gap, there were several shrieks of surprise. They stared after Bay in great confusion - they saw an enemy in his grasp, but since they didn't know he had switched allegiance, they weren't sure what to do. However, Otan struggled through the deck, shrieking for them to follow.

"Bay..." Zafrina muttered in his arms, in a strangled, delirious whisper - what had Otan done? She could barely speak; her voice was like a strangled crab's.

"After them!" Otan roared, furiously. "What are you waiting for?" Bay looked back, and he was horrified to see that all of the merpeople were now chasing him, yelling and brandishing weapons. He knew all of them - Otan, obviously, alongside Ontari, Narcissus, Icarus, and Ravenna. He didn't recognize the last one - a merboy, with blonde hair darker and more yellow than his own, with green eyes and a green tail. There was something odd about him - he was, unlike most of Nia's people, tattoo and scar free. Bay was one of the few who lacked a tattoo or scar - Finn had had his biceps done with simple black flame outlines, but that was it. This merboy was one of the few, but there seemed to be a glassy quality to his eyes. His eyes barely moved in their sockets, and he was swimming very... what was the word? Mechanically, as if the movements weren't his?

Bay suddenly heard something whizz by his ear, and when he turned his head, he saw an arrow fly. It had been shot by Ontari, who was glaring after him with her near-onyx black eyes. "Get back here, blondie! Give up the Atlantican!" She shouted. Bay tried to swim faster, as he rose over the seacliff. He raced into the seaweed.

Zafrina was mumbling deliriously in his arms. "Hang on, Zafrina." He begged, before hearing the voices of Finn and Melody ahead. "Guys! Start swimming!" He shouted, desperately. "Swim!"

Melody jerked her head up, hearing Bay's voice. "Finn..." Melody rose from the sand, to see Bay speeding toward them. But then she saw who he carried. "Zafrina!" She cried, in horror. Zafrina dangled from Bay's arms, head bobbing up and down, tail hanging limply. Her hair covered the most of her neck, but Melody spotted the darkness underneath. "What happened?" She demanded, but then six merfolk appeared over the cliff - lead by the horrible merman she had met in the underwater club. Otan's eyes blazed with malice, and then mocking, when he saw Melody.

"If it isn't another granddaughter of Triton! And another traitor!" Otan glowered at Finn - Melody had been told of how Finn had caused Otan's nose to be permanently off-center. Finn's eyes flooded with horror.

"Oh, this can't get any worse!" He whirled around, preparing to flee, but he had his knife ready. Meanwhile, Melody looked back at the ugly merman, terrified. He had a large hook, attached to some rope, looped over his arm. The hook was viciously sharp and white, possibly made of bone, and it glistened in the water. He tossed it, but it snagged on a plant instead of striking flesh. Two mermaids and three mermen raced alongside him - they went to help him free the hook, while one mermaid with near-black eyes shot arrows. It was there that Melody noticed one particular merman, who looked her age.

A memory appeared in her mind. Melody had an image - an image of a twelve year old merboy, swimming before her twelve-year-old, mermaid self. She stared at him, knowing full well who he was. "Alex?" She asked, half to him, and half to herself. The seventeen-year-old looked back at her, unblinking, not recognizing her. _...He's one of the Atlanticans who've gone missing._ When she had been told who was missing, she hadn't realized that the 'Alex' Zoe had mentioned had been the one Melody knew. Zoe had been rather upset, for she had had a crush on the merboy who had mysteriously vanished.

"What are you doing?" Finn broke into her thoughts. "Move it!" He shoved her after Bay and Zafrina. Regaining her senses, Melody began to swim, but she kept looking back, making sure that she wasn't mistaken. What was wrong with his eyes? They seemed blank, and glassy.

The black-eyed mermaid's arrows continued to fly, and now, spears and knives were also being aimed and thrown - and Alex had his arm drawn back, spear in hand. She stared at him in horror, silently praying that he recognize her, but instead, he threw the spear. Melody gasped as it rapidly flew toward Finn. She seized him by the arm, pulling him out of the way, and the spear embedded in the sand instead. Finn whipped his head round, staring at Melody, mouth hanging open.

"Thank me later!" She cried, but then she heard a cackling.

"Watch this, Ravenna!" Otan shouted, but the black-haired mermaid simply glared at him, annoyed with his attempt to impress her. Otan's hook was now being swung in a circle above his head. He aimed, and threw it, but missed by far - Ravenna snickered at his failure.

Melody went to look at Finn, but then realized he had vanished. "Finn!" She looked around in panic, and raced past a stack of rocks - but then someone seized her from the right, pulled her downwards, into a gap. She fought against it at first, but as she whirled round, she then realized it was Finn. Ahead, she could just about see Bay and a still-unconscious Zafrina, hidden in another pile of rocks.

"Don't make a sound." Finn whispered into her ear, in a shaking voice. Melody nodded slightly, and pressed against him. They clung onto each other in the gap, as the sound of hostile voices grew louder. Finn's cheek was pressed against her hair, and his eyes were screwed closed, like Melody's. She curled in close, tail brought up like how she would hug her knees, as they realized the group were getting closer. Suddenly, there was the sound of something hard upon the rock closest to them. Opening their eyes, both were mortified to see Otan's tail fins just feet away from their faces, along with his hook, resting on the sand. Melody shook violently, and tears came to her eyes, as she saw the shadows of the enemy dancing across the sand. She wrapped both arms around Finn, and tried to remain silent, despite the terror she felt.

"Where did they go?" Demanded Otan's icy voice, but there was no answer for him. He let out a frustrated roar, throwing the hook down savagely. Finn shuffled, for his tail fins were lying dangerously close to the gap - but then his shoulder struck the wall. A series of stones were shifted, and above, the others were looking downwards, hearing this noise.

Melody then saw Bay, across the gap that separated them. He rose a finger to his lips, and then he had a large stone in hand. He hesitated briefly, before he drew back his arm, and threw the rock to the left, where there was a pebbly slope leading to his seaweed. The rock struck the pebbles, and they rattled down the slope, noisily.

"Did you hear that?" Hissed a male voice. "It came from over there!"

"Lead the way, Icarus. Get your weapons ready!" Otan grunted. The merpeople then sped toward the pebbly slope, vanishing into the seaweed - to Melody's dismay, Alex followed, spear in hand. Across the gap that separated them, Bay emerged cautiously from his hiding place, still holding Zafrina. Finn shakily let go of Melody, and slowly rose from the rocks. Bay raced across to them.

"We need to find somewhere to hide. quick!" Bay exclaimed, looking around desperately. "She's in a bad way." Melody frantically looked around, but it was Finn who saw somewhere.

"Look! There's a cave." He was right; a small hole yawned in a large lump of rock, down a sandy slope. Quickly, the group made a beeline for it. Bay went in first, carrying Zafrina. Melody went next, and then Finn. She looked back.

"Is there a way to cover the entrance?" Melody poked her head back out, before she noticed a stone slab to the right. She reached out, and dragged it towards the entrance. Finn then reached around her, helping Melody to drag the slab across, leaving a small gap so that they could look outside. Just then, Otan remerged from the seaweed. Melody and Finn froze, and shrunk further back, hoping that Otan wouldn't notice how the gap the rock had somehow been covered over.

"They can't have just disappeared." He snarled. The dark-eyed mermaid shot up from the seaweed, an arrow ready in her bow. Her tail was a dark, murky purple, and her dark eyes were unfriendly and unsettling. Her brown hair was very short, and spiky.

"We're going to explore some rocks that breach the surface. Maybe they're hiding up there." She looked upwards. "Did you get any information out of Zafrina?"

"No, Ontari." He grumbled. "I asked her what Redtail is. No answer."

"Redtail? Does he mean you?" Finn whispered, in puzzlement. "What does he mean?" Melody's heart raced. Had Nia and Otan discovered her human heritage?

"Maybe she'd have answered you if you hadn't tried to strangle her." Retorted Ontari, angrily. "Come on. They're probably using this time to escape, if they're not on the surface rocks." Ontari then swam straight upwards, where the rest of the group were heading. Otan looked around in frustration, before following.

"Melody... what did he mean, 'what you are?'" Finn blinked.

"I don't know." Melody lied. "Maybe it's because I'm new in this part of the ocean." Remembering Zafrina, Melody then raced after Bay. Finn hesitated, wanting to ask more, before he shook his head, and followed.

Zafrina was lying on the floor, from where Bay had put her down - she was still unmoving. Melody raced to her cousin's side, hand on her shoulder, shaking her slightly. "Zafrina, can you hear me?" She looked up at Bay, desperately trying to believe that Ontari had been mistaken. "Is it true? Otan tried to strangle her?"

Bay looked visibly shaken. "Well... we were exploring a shipwreck, and then I guess I got distracted, because she had gone into another room. Otan must've seen us enter the shipwreck, and ambushed her there, because when I entered the room, Otan was strangling her." Melody exchanged a look of horror with Finn, who stared back darkly. Bay shivered. "I hit him over the head with a board, and he released her."

Melody closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly. "I can't thank you enough, Bay. If you hadn't been there..." Her blood ran cold at the thought. She then concentrated on Zafrina, who was now beginning to stir. Slowly, Melody brushed Zafrina's hair to the side, off her neck. She drew in a shaking gasp, at what she saw. Bay said nothing - he stared, in utter guilt, while Melody felt Finn's hand on her shoulder.

The golden brown skin was now mottled with splotches of violent grey and purple - alternating between light and dark shades, and darkening to almost black around the edges. Darker lines wrapped around the sides of her neck, showing where Otan's brutal, crushing fingers had squeezed into Zafrina's throat.

Zafrina suddenly shook beneath Melody's hands. Her eyes pried open, and she rose her hands, wrapping them around her neck. She tried to speak, but no sound came out. She blinked deliriously, and tried again. "Me... Mel..." Her voice finally fought free, but it was rough and barely audible, as if she had been breathing in too much smoke. She rolled onto her side, coughing feebly, struggling to sit up.

"Whoa, whoa... you should rest." Bay went to ease Zafrina back down, but his attempts were ignored, for she was already sitting up, swatting his hand away.

"My neck." Zafrina muttered, painfully, in that rough voice. She looked at Melody, and then Finn - and finally, Bay. She struggled to speak, for Otan had done something to her voice. "You saved my life." She stared at him in disbelief, before leaning back against the wall. Finn took Bay by the shoulder, speaking to him in a low voice. Melody opened Zafrina's bag, hoping that she had thought to bring something medical. But as she dug around, Melody was disappointed to see that there wasn't even a set of bandages amongst the hairbrush, lipstick and Bay's book.

"We can't just leave her neck like that..." Melody closed the bag in frustration. "Zafrina, how does it feel?" Zafrina's head rolled toward her, and she gave her a look. "Right. Stupid question." Melody shook her head, and sat there, unsure what to do. But then she remembered what she had seen out there. She muttered something.

Finn glanced at her. "What?"

"Alex." Melody repeated. Bay and Finn glanced at each other.

"Huh?" Bay looked puzzled. "Who's Alex?" Zafrina was briefly distracted from her pain.

"Alex, as in Zoe's crush?" She asked, fingers wrapped around her throat, wincing with every word.

"Yes." She glanced at Finn and Bay. "Alex is a merman from Atlantica. He's been missing for a while..." Melody fiddled with her hair, anxious. "He was with them. Otan and the others... Alex was chasing us."

"What?" Zafrina croaked, her face going pale. Her hand found Melody's arm. "That's not possible... he wouldn't..."

"I swear, Zafrina. It was definitely him." Melody was at a loss. An idea formed in her mind, one she really didn't like.

Hadn't Andrina mentioned a similar case, with the Atlantican mermaid Serenity? Andrina had been so sure that Serenity had been fighting for Nia, while Triton was captured. Was it possible that Nia had been kidnapping merpeople from other kingdoms? Why? To fight for her? _There's no way they'd fight for her willingly... unless they're forced._ But that didn't explain why Alex had a blank expression, or failed to recognize her - Serenity had failed to recognize Andrina, too. What was Nia doing, exactly?

"We'll figure that out later." Bay said, uneasily. "What's important now is Zafrina's neck. Once Triton's out, maybe he can do something about it... anyway. Does anyone have any hidden, shocking healer abilities they'd like to reveal?"

"What do you think?" Zafrina coughed, and Melody was surprised to hear less hostility than before. Usually, any sarcastic comments she had uttered to Bay and Finn were hostile and serious, but this comment was lighter. Maybe the fact that Bay had saved her life had something to do with it.

"You know... there is a small settlement not far from here - it's called Pramheda." Finn began. When nobody objected, he expanded on his suggestion. "It's mostly for... rogues, or fugitives, and it's barely known. But there's supplies, temporary accommodation if you need it. We pass it on the route, so maybe there'll be medical supplies for Zafrina. I have some coins on me." Finn undid his seaweed belt, which by now was close to breaking, before searching for coins. "Oh, shoot. Well, I could always buy a less makeshift one while we're there."

"I have some coins as well." Bay added. "They're in a pouch, between some book pages."

"I don't know..." Melody hesitated. "Isn't it dangerous?"

"I don't care." Croaked Zafrina's voice. Melody, Finn and Bay looked at her - she was still clinging to her throat. "You have no idea how much this hurts. Either we go, or I go on my own."


	18. Chaos in Pramheda

Finn looked over his shoulder, where Melody was fussing over Zafrina. Zafrina was barely listening - she was looking around uneasily, eyes both dull and full of fear. There was no denying Zafrina was traumatized after the events of two days ago - after sleeping on it, she had woken agitated and fearful, and reluctant to leave their hiding places. She had spent much of the last two nights mumbling, according to Melody - she had hardly got any sleep at all. The good news was that her voice was already recovering - while still rough, it was quickly improving. However, the same couldn't be said for her bruised neck. Two days after Otan's attack, it was still purple and grey - while the black parts had started to lighten, the bruising still looked extreme.

They had spent the last two days travelling, on the route to Neptune's Scar - they had been alert, but there hadn't been any sign of Otan or anybody else. This had done nothing to ease Zafrina. She insisted that she was fine, but Finn, Bay and Melody knew she was terrified. Hopefully, Pramheda wouldn't scare her.

Finn had arrived in Pramheda when he was fourteen, by accident. It was a small town lying in an underwater gorge, in the middle of the unclaimed land, hidden away. It was ideal for fugitives and rogues - maybe that made it dangerous. It was a little rough, and there wasn't a leader, or rules - any fugitives who passed through could be wanted criminals. Both octopids, merpeople and other creatures used the city, and a password was required for entry.

Bay swam alongside him. "I always forget the way - it's so complicated. How do you remember it? It's like a labyrinth..."

"A what?" Finn asked.

"Oh, Melody mentioned it, back there. Some huge maze from myths, apparently, although I've never heard of it... hey, there it is." This made Finn realize that the entrance to Pramheda was coming up. The gorge they had been travelling through had thinned, to a rocky arch curtained by pink seaweed. A short, plump mermaid with a pink tail, and an octopid were sitting at the entrance. Melody stared briefly at the octoman; he had the upper body of a merman, and his waist ended with eight green tentancles - one ended in a stump. They looked up, wearing guarded expressions, as the four merteens approached. Zafrina hung beside Melody, pretending to look through her bag so to draw attention away from her neck.

 _"Luna piscis."_ Finn said, and the two nodded, floating back down to their seats. "Moonfish." He clarified, to Melody and Zafrina, as they passed through the seaweed.

"I would have said something stupid, like sunshark." Bay joked - Zafrina offered him a smile. Finn felt a streak of positivity. _She's beginning to trust us, now. Thank Neptune._

The thin part of the gorge then widened, so that it was a few metres across. Pramheda was basically a slung-together town in the dark gorge - there were shacks made of coral and driftwood, or caves in the gorge sides. It was busy today, with several merfolk and octopids swimming through it. Melody swam closer to Zafrina - the octopids made her feel uneasy. They just reminded her too much of Morgana, even if some of them looked relatively harmless. Even a young octowoman carrying her baby in a sling across her torso, just like how Arista carried baby Murphy, didn't soothe her worries.

Melody tried to ignore the presence of the octopids. She was so worried about her cousin - Zafrina's neck looked horrific, and her bubbly personality was gone, suppressed by fear of what lay ahead. She considered asking how Zafrina felt, but the miserable look on Zafrina's face told her that she was in no mood for talk.

"Alright." Finn paused. "I think we should split into pairs. That way, we'll be out of here sooner - and they don't really like large groups." That was true. Most residents and visitors were looking at them in suspicion.

"Good idea. I'll go with Bay... if that's alright." Zafrina said, hand around her throat. The others stared at her, surprised at this. "For safety reasons." She clarified. However, there was something in her voice Melody couldn't put a fin on. _Listen to me, using merfolk terms._ Melody smiled to herself. She returned to her previous thoughts. Zafrina was probably grateful to Bay - he had saved her life, after all.

"Okay - that's cool." Bay moved closer to Zafrina. Finn nodded at Bay.

"Once we have everything we need, we'll meet at the exit of Pramheda." He glanced at Melody, with his warm smile. "I guess you're coming with me, then."

"Great! I mean, sure." Melody tried to hide her enthusiasm at the thought. "I'd like that." With that, the two pairs turned, and went in their opposite directions - Zafrina and Bay for medical supplies, and Finn and Melody for a replacement for the former's seaweed belt, or at least a bag to carry his dagger in.

Bay lead Zafrina through Pramheda, remembering where the medical supply shack was. Everyone they passed stared - stared at Zafrina's bruised throat. She placed a hand on it, uneasily; she looked close to tears, and she was hovering by his side. Bay kept noticing this, and it pained him to see it. She felt so self-conscious, and Zafrina was still in clear pain. "It's only there." Bay made a turn, toward a shack made of old shipwreck wood planks. He opened the door, and Zafrina quickly went in, relieved to be away from prying eyes.

"Hello?" She said, in a small voice, retreating to Bay's side as the door closed. A young mermaid glanced up, seeing the two customers. Her hair was long and ginger, and her smile spread to her friendly brown eyes.

"Good day." She nodded, before rising from a seat. "Do you need any help?"

"Yes, actually." Bay glanced at Zafrina. "We ran into a... into..." what could he say? They were pounced on by psychotic merman working for Nia? Just saying they were attacked by any merman alone would bring questions. _"Help me!"_ he whispered the last two words.

"I got entangled." Said Zafrina, quickly. "In a net. And it... fastened around my neck." She removed her hand from her throat, and the mermaid stared at her in horror - then the mermaid narrowed her eyes, skeptical. They'd have to go into more detail. "It happened yesterday. My friend and I were swimming in the darkness yesterday night, when we swum closer to the surface. Unfortunately, a fishing boat happened to pass by. Didn't it?" She glanced at Bay for backup.

"That's right." Bay nodded, solemnly. Zafrina continued fleshing out her story - as Melody said, the key to a good lie lay in details.

"They were throwing nets in. I accidentally got caught... Bay tried to free me, but they were pulling the net upwards. The feeling of the rope around my neck... it was terrible. I hung there, as they pulled the net upwards. I managed to free myself, however." This seemed to convince the mermaid.

"Well, you poor thing! You're lucky to have escaped, you know. I'll get you a salve to soothe the bruising, and some bandages. That'll be three gold and two silver, by the way."

"Of course, of course." Bay brought out a little sewn pouch, and picked out the five coins. He handed the coins over, as the mermaid presented them with a small pot of purple cream, and some bandaging.

"Thank you very much, we appreciate it." Zafrina gratefully took the items.

"Safe travels." The mermaid smiled, before turning away to sort out a shelf. The two merteens left the shack, retreating into the shadows to the side of the gorge for some privacy. Zafrina perched herself onto a rock stump, running a hand through her loose hair. Eventually, she opened the pot of purple cream.

"I honestly thought she wouldn't believe us." Bay sighed. "Great story. You even had me convinced." Zafrina paused, before looking at him, with a genuine smile, as she begun to smooth the cream into her neck. She winced at first, but then Zafrina sighed, eyes closing slightly.

"This feels relaxing." She remarked. "It's cooling." She added a thicker layer, before putting the salve into her bag. "Would you mind helping me with the bandaging? Not too tight."

"Of course I will." Bay said, wanting to help. He began to wound the bandage gently around Zafrina's neck, being as gentle as he could. Zafrina waited patiently, sitting there quietly, holding up her hair to make the task more easy. Occasionally, Bay would accidentally brush against her hair. _Her hair is so thick. And soft._

"I never thanked you, did I?" She murmured, and Bay paused.

"It's alright, honestly. I just couldn't..." _Couldn't let you die._ "Otan's a savage. He was the biggest bully in the kingdom, even when we were little. He bullied us, ever since we were seven. Me for my long hair, and Finn because his mom died..." Bay paused again. "Don't mention that to Finn. It's a very sensitive subject. Anyway, Otan's got it in for us, especially since Finn punched him in the nose. That's why it's off-center."

"Nice one, Finn." Zafrina remarked, beginning to sound less miserable. "Well, thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here. And..." Her voice faded. "And I'm sorry for how I treated you and Finn before. I shouldn't have been so mean and judgemental. I see now that you're not... not evil."

Bay tied off the bandage, with a laugh, so not to make her feel guilty. "I understand. You were just protecting your cousin and your kingdom. That's a good thing, you know." Bay then put the rest of bandages into Zafrina's bag, and she rose from the rock stump.

"Thanks for understanding. I really -" but then Zafrina's mouth snapped shut. Bay blinked.

"Zafrina?" He asked. "Are you okay?" Not uttering a word, Zafrina grabbed his hand, and pulled him behind the shipwreck plank shack. "What's going on?" He asked, in alarm.

"Look!" She whispered, in horror. Bay turned to look, but as he did, his heart stopped. "What was her name? Ontari?"

Zafrina was right. A mermaid with near-black eyes, tattoo-like scars and a fierce-looking bow and set of arrows was brandishing pieces of parchment, interrogating anybody she laid eyes on. "Have you seen these four merpeople? Their names are Melody, Finn, Bay and Zafrina. They're criminals!" She held four sheets, two in each hand, with every face on show. Each drawing was terribly accurate - looking st the drawing of himself was just like looking into a mirror. Ontari looked around, eyes scouring the gorge. She rolled her eyes. "My queen offers a large reward for their capture!" Suddenly, many merfolk and octopidfolk were turning, taking interest. Many visitors who came to Pramheda were poor, after all.

"We should go." Bay whispered. He and Zafrina emerged from the shack, slowly, casually moving so not to draw attention. But as they tried to swim away, someone spotted them.

"Look!" Shouted the stranger, a male octopid. "There they are!"

While this was happening, Melody and Finn left a side cave. Finn dropped his old belt into a seaweed patch - it was made of seaweed after all. He now had a knife-belt made of a woven, beige seaplant that was far stronger than seaweed.

"He was nice." Finn said, but Melody didn't say anything. She looked away, almost with discomfort - and regret. "Something wrong?"

"No, no... it's just..." Melody hesitated. "I had a bad experience with an octopid, once. When I was twelve..." but then her voice faded away. "Hold up. Is that..." She leaned over, scooping up a piece of parchment. "Looks like... me." Finn turned around, glancing at the sheet. He froze, with realization. Slowly, he took the paper, holding it close to his face, looking from Melody to the drawing.

"Melody... tha _t is_ you." There was no mistaking the round, captivating - no, _beautiful -_ eyes, framed by those dark and feathery eyelashes, and those delicate-looking lips. Even though the colour was not shown on the paper, the lustre of Melody's hair had been captured so well through shading. Finn's heart missed a beat. _Lustrous hair? Delicate lips? Beautiful eyes?_ Where were these words coming from?

It was true, however. Her pale blue eyes, her hair the colour of the land bird they called the raven. It wasn't just her appearance - what she looked like didn't matter. It was the sweet and spirited person Melody was inside that he loved most about her. _Love about her?_

"Finn! Melody!" The sound of Bay and Zafrina's panicked voices tore their eyes away from the parchment. There they were - frantically swimming straight toward them, and to their surprise, the two were hand in hand. "Swim! Swim!" They were shrieking.

"What do you -" but then Finn saw why. Arrows flew as Ontari swam at the head of a mob - several looked desperate, and dirty - they weren't from Finn's home kingdom. Finn had seen them throughout Pramheda. Zafrina and Bay crashed into them, shoving them forward.

"We're wanted! They're after a reward!" Zafrina's eyes blazed with golden fire, of fear and anger. Finn blinked - then Melody's shouting brought him back to reality.

"Come on, Finn!" She grabbed Finn by the arm, pulling him along. Finn raced after Bay and Zafrina, with Melody in front of him. They darted straight upwards, leaving Pramheda through the top of the gorge, before they swam across the rocky seabed.

"Is there no escape from them?" Cried Zafrina. "Why can't they leave us alone?" Finn looked over his shoulder - the residents of Pramheda had given up, since it was clear Ontari was too far ahead. She couldn't apprehend all four of them, so she instead shot her arrows as she pursued them.

"Get back here!" She ordered. To Finn's horror, Ontari was getting closer to him - she was running out of arrows, but her arrows were shooting closer each time. Just as he was wondering how it felt to be struck by an arrow, Finn saw Ontari swimming almost directly on his left.

The arrow flew, grazing his arm - while it just scraped him, it was enough to make him slow down with a yelp of pain. Ontari brought up her bow, preparing to swing it into the side of his head - her other hand held a urchin spine. Nia distributed two kinds of these spines onto her soldiers - a red one had been dipped into a deadly toxin derived from a poisonous seaplant, one that stopped the heart in minutes, and a green one sent the receiver into an unconscious state that lasted for several hours. The one she held was red.

But then there was a flash of black hair. Melody seized the bow, trying to wrestle it from Ontari's grasp. The red urchin spine dropped to the sand, and then Bay joined her, helping to restrain Ontari. As skilled a warrior she was, Ontari wasn't strong enough to free herself from Bay and Melody. "Zafrina!" Bay gasped, struggling to obtain the struggling Ontari. "Go in her bag. There should be a green urchin spine!" Zafrina dived for the bag, a brown sack that had fallen onto the sand. However, the urchin spines had spilled out, so she didn't have to look for long. Zafrina picked up a green urchin spine, staring from the spine to Ontari.

Ontari writhed in anger, spitting and trying to scratch at her restrainers with her nails. "Unhand me, you vile -" Ontari didn't finish. Zafrina jammed the green spine into Ontari's flailing tail - immediately, Ontari went slack. Her eyes sliding shut, she drifted to the sand, unconscious.


	19. He makes me feel safe

They had left Ontari on the sand, but not before disposing of her urchin spines so that they couldn't be used on other merpeople. Bay had bashed them with a stone, until they were broken beyond use, before they had tossed the lot into a nearby crevice. The arrows had met the same fate, crushed to fragments and sinking into the blackness. After this, they had fled on the route to Neptune's Scar, as far as they could before Finn's wound forced them to stop and take shelter. Hiding in a cave, Melody and Bay had managed to wrap a bandage around Finn's wound.

"You don't think the arrow was poisoned, do you?" Bay fretted, worriedly, while Zafrina kept watch, glancing from them to the cave entrance. They were all worried that they had been followed to Pramheda, explaining how Ontari had found the city. Melody wondered if they had been followed the whole time - but she didn't express this fear out loud. If they were being followed, why didn't Nia's thugs just grab them?

"Bay, if it was poisoned, I'd know it." Finn said, wincing slightly as Melody accidentally brushed the area around the graze. "I'd be dead by now, if it was." Melody paused at this statement, for the very idea of Finn being poisoned made her heart twist with dread. _What's the matter with me?_ She shook it off.

"I think it won't scar..." Melody said, with relief. "It wasn't too deep. If the arrow had gone any closer... it just about missed your neck." Her fingers shook a little as she tied off the bandage, at the thought of an arrow sticking into Finn's neck. What if he had been killed? What if she'd lost him?

"Thank you, Melody." Finn looked up at her, gratitude - and something else - shining in his sea-green eyes. Melody smiled, placing a hand upon his, before letting go of his hand and swimming to the entrance. Her hand had remained upon his for a few moments longer than she planned; when she had finally let go, Finn had tried to reach for her hand again, but then thought better of it.

"I'm going to keep watch with Zafrina." She said, leaving the two mermen to talk. As Bay began asking about the pain, Melody sat beside Zafrina, who sat in the shadows by the entrance so not to draw attention to their hiding place. "How's your neck?" Melody asked, elbows on her tail, resting her chin upon her clasped hands. She spoke quietly, so that the merboys wouldn't hear their conversation. She gazed out into the open ocean - it was true what Finn and Bay said. Up north, the water was a bit colder, seaplants sparse, fish barely a colour beyond brown and grey. Reefs were non-existent - it was mostly plants, crevices and rocks. A couple of black eels slid through the water below.

"My neck's fine. The mermaid gave me a soothing salve, as well as bandages." Zafrina rubbed the side of her neck, which was white with bandaging. "Bay helped me do it." Melody glanced over her shoulder. Bay was gazing at Zafrina, while Finn talked - noticing Bay was distracted, Finn nudged him in the arm, and Bay blinked, looking back to listen.

"He's a nice guy." Melody commented. "He likes you, you know."

"No he doesn't." Zafrina laughed with disbelief. "Anyway, why would he like me? I've treated him and Finn so horribly."

"Well, you're smart, you're kind and sweet, you're beautiful..." Melody tried to comfort Zafrina. "I mean, maybe you were harsh before, but over the last few days you've really warmed up to both of them. I'm proud of you, Zafrina, for seeing past the assumptions..."

"Hey, enough about me." Zafrina glanced at Melody. A smile crept onto her lips, although it didn't spread to her eyes; the pain of her neck sucked the joy out of the conversation. "How long has that been going on, between you and Finn?"

"What?" Melody looked at Zafrina, cheeks hot.

"Don't play dumb with me, cousin. You like him, don't you?" Zafrina was smiling more. "Don't deny it. I see the way you two look at each other."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Melody gave a nervous laugh. "I thought you were anti-Finn?"

"Well, my opinion's changed. He seems like a genuine merman who cares for you." Zafrina leaned back, against the wall, expectantly. Melody sighed.

"Okay. Maybe I... maybe I _do_ like him. I like him a lot." Melody's heart did some flips. It was absolutely true. Finn made her feel so safe, so happy - and whenever he was near, her tail seemed to go weak, as if she couldn't swim straight. His long, dark brown hair and those smoldering sea-green eyes made her heart do something strange. It like there was a butterfly under her sternum, fluttering around. Even the darker skin under his left eye, the cute birthmark, made her feel warm.

"Listen. I think you need to confide in him. Tell him how you feel." Zafrina placed her hand onto Melody's.

"But..." Melody felt a surge of panic. "Zafrina. Do the math - I can't." She was suddenly crestfallen, and she covered her face with her hands. "Everytime I look at my wrist, I'm reminded of my life up there. My human life. I haven't told him - he has no idea." Melody thought she felt tears in her eyes, but she blinked them away. "I've lied to him so much. I made up a whole family-heirloom type story about the bracelet. Everytime he asks about my parents, I skip the question. He knows something's different about me - I can't stay in this form forever, Zafrina. I'll have to go back to being human once this is over, but I can't just lead a double life! I need to make a choice."

"Melody..." Zafrina hesitated. "Have you considered that being here, under the waves, is where you belong? That your destiny lies with your merfolk family?" She paused. "Look. You should tell Finn of your true heritage. He'll find out eventually, anyway."

"Zafrina." Melody closed her eyes. "Be realistic. How do you honestly think he'll react when I turn the stone on my bracelet three times, and I become human again?" Zafrina went silent, blinking at Melody, with no answer for the question. "What if he hates me? For lying to him? For being a human?" At this statement, a few pebbles came clattering down from above. Melody and Zafrina swiftly looked up, but there was nothing. "Probably just a crab." Melody assumed, before returning to her dilemma.

"Melody, if he truly cares about you, he'll understand why you didn't tell him the truth initially." Zafrina murmured. "Wait a few days... see how you feel. If you think you're ready to tell him, you tell him. And he doesn't hate humans - Nia does."

"Maybe I'll have to..." Melody hesitated. "But isn't it a bit fast? It hasn't even been two weeks..."

"You think this is fast?" Zafrina remarked. "Your mom and dad took three days to fall in complete _love,_ and Ariel couldn't even speak! Trust me, Melody. Tell Finn how much you feel about him, and who you really are. And I promise you, everything will be fine." Zafrina was absolutely right. Melody couldn't avoid how she felt about Finn.

"Alright. I'll just wait for a bit, though." Melody felt a weight upon her heart. She really, really liked Finn - liked was an understatement. But what if he didn't feel the same? What if he didn't like the fact that she was human, that she had lied to him about a lot of things because she had been afraid of him before? She just had to hope that Finn would understand.

 _Later_

It was night time. The water was dark and gloomy, and there was no life in sight. In their cave, the group slept. Finn lay on his side, on his uninjured shoulder, while Melody was curled up a few feet away, facing him as she slept. Melody and Finn were in deep sleep; their tail fins just brushed, unintentionally.

Bay leaned against the wall, closer to the entrance. He was on unofficial sentry duty - while nobody had suggested a night watch, Bay had put his inability to sleep to good use. He couldn't sleep - he was too busy thinking about Ontari, how she had almost killed Finn - if not with an arrow, poisoned or not, with a red urchin spine. His best - and only - friend could have died today.

 _Only friend._ That wasn't strictly true anymore - Melody and Zafrina were his friends, too. Maybe Zafrina had taken longer to count him as a friend, but now, they were on good terms. At first, she hadn't trusted Bay at all - after freeing him, she had treated him icily. It was only really after Bay had saved her from Otan that Zafrina's protective shield had melted away. Over the last few days, Bay had realized that Zafrina trusted him now. She had allowed him to help bandage her neck, and even apologized for everything she had said.

Meanwhile, Zafrina was not asleep, as Bay thought she was. Her body was asleep, but her mind was very much awake - awake in the living horror of a terrifying nightmare.

 _Zafrina tore through the seaweed, covered in scratches and wounds. Her heart raced, and her ears were filled with noise. Mocking laughter. The screaming of her parents and sisters, of Finn and Bay, and of Melody. Zafrina saw Melody's bracelet, shattered, in the seaweed - through the waving green fronds, she saw her cousin floating there, her tail replaced by human legs. Melody's eyes bulged, and her lips were blue - she floated, unmoving, mouth open. Zafrina shrieked in horror, lunging toward Melody, but then a large hook pierced through her tail, dragging her back._

 _Zafrina was then being dragged through the seaweed by the hook, which stuck in her tail. She writhed and flailed like a caught fish, screaming at the very real agony through her lower half - then she was stopped. She lay on the sand, cowering beneath Otan, who grinned down at her maliciously. Tears in her eyes, Zafrina tried to crawl away, but then Otan yanked her closer, the hook ripping further - she let out a blood-curdling scream._

 _"What's the matter?" He sneered, tearing the hook free. Zafrina shrieked again, and the water around her turned crimson. Suddenly, Otan moved back. "Kill her." He ordered, without emotion. Then, merpeople were onto her. They bit, tore, scratched with claw-like fingernails. They were the missing merfolk from Atlantica - Alex, Serenity, and the rest of the missing Atlanticans. They were all holding the same, blank, glassy expression._

 _"What's wrong with you? Let me go!" Zafrina shrieked in terror, but then, Serenity loomed in her face. When she spoke, it wasn't the soft-spoken voice Zafrina knew. It was Nia's._

 _"Good night, Atlantican." Serenity sneered, before Zafrina felt Otan's crushing hands on her neck._

Bay then heard a noise. He blinked away fatigue, glancing Zafrina's way with a frown. She was muttering in her sleep. "Zafrina?" He whispered.

"No... no..." Zafrina's mutters were barely audible. But then, she started twitching slightly - her tail rose, and her hands clenched into fists. Her voice rose. "No..."

"Zafrina." Bay said, louder now, more urgently. Zafrina was shaking violently. Then, to his shock, she burst into movement, still trapped in sleep. Zafrina thrashed on the rock, like a worm on a hook - she writhed and flailed as though having a fit, crying out. Her clenched hands were now yanking at the bandage around her neck, as though she were trying to pry imaginary hands off her throat. It was a miracle neither Melody nor Finn were awoken.

"No, no! I'm begging you!" Zafrina wailed, her voice filled with an unspeakable terror, almost a scream. Bay sprang up, rapidly crossing the gap between them, until he was at her side.

"Zafrina! Wake up, you're having a nightmare!" Bay frantically shook Zafrina. For a few moments, she continued to cry out and writhe - but then her eyes flew open. Zafrina leapt up from the sand, her nails digging hard into his skin as she flung her hands onto his arms. Her eyes darted around, filled with terror and madness. Her breathing was ragged, the bandage around her neck loosened from where she had pulled at it. Zafrina looked around wildly.

"W-where - where am I?" Zafrina stammered, deliriously.

"You're safe, you're safe! You're here with me, remember? Me, Melody, Finn!" Bay put his hands on the sides of her face, to keep her still, so that she could make a sense of where she was. Zafrina stared into his eyes, the terror still wild in the golden fire of her irises. Somehow, the silver quartz of his eyes calmed her a little.

"I... I..." Zafrina slowed, until she was slack, like a doll. She sat there, frozen in a state of shock, hair covering her face like a mask.

"Zafrina?" Bay asked, cautiously, brushing her hair out of her eyes. Zafrina didn't move, but then she covered her face with her hands.

"It was horrible." She whispered, her tears invisible with the water surrounding them. "It... I dreamed that _he_ was here. Attacking me with his fish hook..." Zafrina trembled. "The missing merpeople from Atlantica were killing me. He was strangling me, laughing... my sisters, my mom, my dad... they were dead. And Melody had drowned." Bay stared at Zafrina, horrified as he imagined such a dream.

"Hey, that's not going to happen." Bay finally said, gently. He brushed a hand across the soft skin of her cheek, and Zafrina blinked. "It was just a nightmare. It wasn't real. Your family is safe, safe in Atlantica. And..." he frowned. "What do you mean, Melody drowned? That's not possible." Zafrina paused - she opened her mouth to say something, but then changed her mind. Bay placed a hand on her arm. "Ot... I mean, he... I won't let _him_ near you."

Zafrina stared at him, complete trusting in her eyes. "You promise?" She whispered, sounding like a lost child. Bay's heart flooded with warmth.

"I promise." Bay murmured. He gazed at her - she looked like she needed a hug. With that thought, Bay opened his arms. Accepting the offer, Zafrina gratefully embraced him, Bay feeling her racing heart. She went limp against him, leaning heavily - reassurance and fatigue took over the fear in her eyes, and she felt, for the first time in days, safe. Zafrina's eyes slid shut, and her head came to rest on his upper tail. Bay ran a hand through her soft hair, to soothe her. Zafrina's breathing slowed down, as did her frantic heart. Bay gazed at Zafrina for a few minutes, before sleep also claimed him.


	20. A warning

Finn watched Zafrina, puzzled. The strangeness had begun this morning - waking, he had been surprised to see Zafrina snuggled up to Bay, head on his lap. The look on Zafrina's face had been mild - she had looked serene, content. Awake, Zafrina had seemed quieter than usual, lost in thought rather than displaying her chatty manner or 'take-charge' attitude.

"Is she okay?" Melody asked, swimming closer to him. Melody's big blue eyes were confused, and concerned.

"I was about to ask that exact same question." Finn replied, as she moved to within inches of his side - his heart increased it's pace, as it always did when he was near her. "But the way she and Bay were this morning... so unexpected. I always thought she was anti-Bay and anti-me."

"I know." Said Melody, in somewhat awe. "I'm proud of her, though. She's really accepted you both. But anyway - how much further to Neptune's Scar?"

"We're not too far now. Just a few more days, or less - then we'll be there." Finn had an uncomfortable, and worrying, reminder. "I warn you - it's going to be dangerous from now on. We're getting closer to our kingdom, and it's so heavily guarded."

"We'll figure something out," Melody said, optimistically. "We have to, right?"

"Yes. It's just..." Finn paused. "I don't want you getting hurt." Melody looked at him, touched. Her eyes sparkled with warmth and something else, as she gazed at Finn.

"I don't want you to get hurt, either." Melody replied, with that beautiful smile he loved, the dazzling smile that made his heart ache. Finn's dreams had been of Melody, last night - they had just been swimming near the surface, together, as simple as that, but the dream had been one of the best he had ever had. Finn had never had good dreams, not until he had met her. Melody was beyond special. "I... I just want to ask. When this is over... what will you do? Would you... would you consider living in Atlantica?" Finn slowed, until he stopped. Melody paused as well, almost looking fearful of his answer.

That had been a question on his mind for some time. He didn't want to go back home - he physically couldn't anyway, not with him on Nia's kill list. Where could he go? What other kingdom would take in someone like him? Perhaps Atlantica was his only option - and it wasn't like he wasn't tempted. It was warm, beautiful, safer than home, once he was away from a shark-invested part of Atlantica. But it wasn't the natural beauty of the place that drew him there. It was Melody who made him want to go there.

"Well... would your grandfather let me?" Finn asked, hopefully.

"I'm sure that if - I mean, when - he hears what you and Bay have done for me and Zafrina, I'm certain he'll let you both stay. And I'll be honest..." Melody smiled. "I'd want to you to stay."

"I think I will, if your kingdom will take me. And... I want to stay there too. With... with you." Finn felt a thudding in his chest. _What is this feeling?_ Time seemed to slow for a moment, as they looked into each other's eyes; Finn thought he saw Melody lean forward a fraction, but before anything else could happen, they were interrupted.

"Guys! You need to see this!" Bay's voice came from up ahead. Breaking eye contact, Melody and Finn quickly went to catch up with the other two. Bay had sounded almost fearful.

"Bay? What is it?" Finn emerged from the seaweed first. Melody followed, but she immediately stopped at his shoulder. Her eyes were wide, mirroring Zafrina's. Zafrina was clinging onto Bay's right arm, looking terrified of what lay before them. Bay too looked sickened by what stood there. On the small stretch of sand, an ancient ship mast had been jammed into the sandbed. It was two or three times the height of Finn, and the ragged remains of a sail clung to it. Something had been lashed to the mast using rope.

Melody trembled against his arm, shrunk against him. A skeleton had been tied to the old mast, and it's near-toothless mouth hung open; a single brown tooth stuck up from the lower jaw. Several bones lay at the mast base, from where the skeleton had broken apart overtime. At first, Finn thought it was a merperson, but then Melody corrected him. "It's a human." She whispered, in pure horror. Zafrina looked at Melody, with enormous eyes, something in them - almost as though the cousins were exchanging a silent conversation.

Finn realized that it was true. Instead of tail bones, two pairs of a series of sticks fell from the pelvis. Then, a current swept across them - the frail, weak skull moved slightly. Melody suddenly tore away through the seaweed, gasping, hand covering her mouth. "Melody!" Finn exclaimed. He raced after Melody, but then he realized he didn't have to chase her for long. Her red tail lay on the sand, as Melody crouched on her hands and tail - her head was thrust into a patch of seaweed. The sound of vomiting reached his ears. Quickly, Finn gathered her black hair up, holding it back while Melody was being sick. She coughed repeatedly, trying to empty her stomach. With a free hand, Finn gently rubbed Melody's upper back. They were there for a few minutes, until the sound of sickness faded to a stop.

Melody shook slightly, as she fell back to a sitting position. Finn drifted to the ground beside her, still rubbing her back. Her face was ashen, her eyes closed. "Sorry." Melody mumbled.

"You're burning up, Melody." Finn said, worriedly, as he felt her forehead.

"What was that for?" Melody whispered, ignoring his concern. She sounded traumatized. "I thought we weren't at the border yet?"

"That's not a border marker. That's a warning that the border is coming up... Nia doesn't like anyone being near her land." Finn explained. "We should find shelter. You feel hot." Had seeing the human skeleton made her that sick, so fast? It was quite worrying, if just seeing the _warning_ made her so ill. Or was there another reason behind it? Melody seemed to act a bit out of the ordinary whenever humans were mentioned.

"Melody? Finn?" Bay came through the seaweed, with Zafrina hurrying behind, desperate to get away from the warning. Seeing Melody on the ground, Zafrina gasped, and dropped to her cousin's side. Her eyes critically scanned Melody.

"Look at you! The colour of your face!" Zafrina forgot the horror if what they had seen, appalled at the state of Melody. She felt weak against Finn.

"She was sick." Finn said, looking from Zafrina to Bay. "I don't think we should -"

"No!" Melody exclaimed, quickly. "I'm fine... we should keep going. I'm okay now." She tried to rise, but weakened. "We have to keep going." She insisted. "Finn? Can you help me?"

"I'll support you as you swim, until you feel better." He promised. He glanced at Zafrina and Bay for objections, but there were none. Finn put an arm around Melody, and she held onto him as they swam past the warning - she didn't open her eyes until Zafrina said it was far behind.

 _Meanwhile_

Nia slapped Ontari across the face. Ontari didn't utter a word - she clenched her jaw, in bitter silence. Otan, along with the rest of the merpeople who had been tasked with capturing the four travellers, looked on with slight fear. The last patrol member, the golden blonde merboy of seventeen, stood there rigid, unblinking. "I gave you one simple task. How could you lose them?" Nia's voice was filled with venom. "I expected that..." Her unfriendly grey eyes raked over the others. "All of you. Get out, and leave us - not you, Otan. You will all report here tomorrow, and start searching again."

Ontari swiftly grabbed her bow - the only thing the travellers hadn't smashed to fragments - and raced from the room, followed by Icarus, Ravenna, Narcissus, and, obediently, Alex. "You!" Ontari snapped to Alex. He whirled round, with his glassy stare. "Go back to your cell." Alex, without a word, turned and swam away.

With a swipe of her hand, Nia closed the doors with her powers. She couldn't control living organisms - only objects. Otan was left with Nia. He floated there, waiting, but Nia didn't speak. He glanced over his shoulder, swimming to the door, looking through the gap, watching Alex leave. "With all due respect, your majesty, I don't think that your plan is going as well as you projected."

The silver-haired mermaid slowly looked around. Her hair was tightly pulled back, all out of her face, and a few thin braids ran through the part where it fell free. It still held onto the blonde colour of her youth, with the blonde mostly present past the middle of her upper spine. Above this to her roots, her hair was an ever-lightening silver. Her hair seemed to have lost it's youthfulness prematurely, for Nia wasn't as old as her hair suggested - she was in her early fourties, or late thirties.

"How so?" Nia narrowed her eyes.

"The merfolk you... captured. They don't seem to respond to orders as quickly as we'd like, and their skills are sloppy. Unless they're normally good fighters, they don't seem to be good in combat."

"Six of them are Atlanticans, what do you expect?" Nia snorted.

"...and the other fifty-four are either random merpeople we don't have a clue about." Otan pointed out. "Most of them are nomads and wanderers - only five out of the lot are skilled fighters. The rest just travel from place to place. Most don't know combat. They'll do what we say, but they won't do it well."

"What do you expect me to do about it?" Nia demanded. "I can't magic them into being skilled warriors."

"Can we remove Alex from the patrol?" Otan asked. "I know you wanted to prove a point to the two Atlanticans, but I don't think they've figured it out. They're dumb, just like their grandfather is." There was a pause, as Nia considered this. Eventually, she nodded.

"Very well." She said, with annoyance. "I'll send someone else."

"Thank you, your majesty." Otan bowed with respect. "Oh, your majesty? What are you going to do about the army headed our way? Atlantica are advancing, allied with an army sent by Queen Attina - there's an army of over two-hundred coming for us."

"Let them come." Nia said, calmly. "Our army is too great - we'll crush them. And what is it you said you were going to tell me about?"

"Ah, of course. Your majesty..." Otan grinned with his yellowing teeth. "We have some information regarding the human, Melody. Before we lost them again, we overhead a highly valuable conversation."


	21. Neptune's Scar

Melody, Finn, Bay and Zafrina slowed, and sank back into the shadows as they heard voices. Slowly, they crept up the jagged wall, peering over the top. On the seabed, a shoal of fish frantically broke apart, as merfolk swiped nets, threw spears, shot arrows. The merpeople were agile and lean, most possessing tattoos. With expert skill, they hunted the brown-scaled fish easily.

"Look!" Whispered Zafrina, in horror. "It's... it's Mereditha." Melody hadn't met Mereditha, but she knew that the mermaid was one of the six missing from Atlantica. A mermaid with strawberry blonde hair was pushing writhing nets of fish into boxes, with the same mechanical movements they has witnessed from Alex. Her pale green eyes were glassy, like Alex's. "Nia's a seawitch. You don't suppose..." Zafrina didn't get to voice her speculation, for a group of fish darted their way in frenzy.

The four dived down against the base of the jagged stones, crouching as a merman broke away to pursue. The fish were turned back, directly over the group's heads - the merman glanced down momentarily, but he didn't notice the merpeople hidden. Swiftly, he chased the fish back to the hunting party, and the four exchanged relieved glances. With the moment passed, they quickly swam on their way, to get away from the hunters.

It must have been a day since they had crossed the real border - a viscous wall of seathorns a few metres tall, with spears jabbed into the plant. The deadly points had stuck up threateningly, warning off any trespassers. After some hesitation, they had passed over the wall. Now, they were hugging the shadows of a jagged line of rocks, a line that Finn and Bay called the Broken Shells.

The Broken Shells were tall and, like the name suggested, resembled broken and damaged shells. They casted long shadows, and as a result, they were good cover. The Broken Shells ran all the way to Neptune's Scar, which lay ahead - Melody's skin crawled with fear. Ever since she had seen the warning, the human skeleton lashed to a mast, she had felt sick and fearful. Just the memory alone was sickening. What if Nia found out that she was human? Would Melody meet the same fate as the human on the mast?

"Look, girls - we have to tell you something." Bay slowed to a stop. The four faced each other in the shadows of the Broken Shells - Melody kept close to Zafrina, protective of her cousin, for Zafrina had confided in her last night, telling her the terrifying nightmare she had received the day before. "There... there's a creature living in Neptune's Scar. It's a sea serpent." An atmosphere of unease and trepidation spread over them all. Sea serpents were incredibly deadly - venomous, with huge teeth. Only Finn and Bay had seen the sea serpent before, and the tales told were no exaggeration.

The creature lived within the crevice, never leaving it. A rite of passage in Nia's kingdom meant that each warrior in training was required to locate the beast, attack it, and then get out alive in order to be accepted into the army. Proof was required - a vial of the creative's blood, a scale, or a tooth. Many had been killed by the serpent during this final test, but Nia wanted only the strongest warriors. Finn and Bay had been lucky enough to be sent in together, barely escaping the animal with a scale each to prove that they had done the task.

The three who had grown up in the sea had heard myths and legends. Sea serpents had killed many - merpeople, and unfortunate shipwreck survivors or those who were attacked while sailing. A famous legend told was that a thousand years ago, the greatest sea serpent in the ocean, Addanc, had killed and devoured a whale.

"That's not our only problem." Finn pointed out. "The scar is long, and dark. Even if we do get into the crevice, how will we find the trident? It's pitch-black in some places."

Melody and Zafrina exchanged wide-eyed glances. Melody's hand moved to her locket. "My locket... when I open it, it gives off light." She pried it open - the glowing orb rose, along with the lullaby. She quickly snapped the locket closed to silence it, and she glanced around, anxious. Luckily, it didn't look as though the music had attracted unwanted attention - the seabed was empty, as far as the eye could see. It was almost too quiet.

"There's our light." Zafrina said, with more optimism. "Let's go." She swam past Bay.

"Whoa, whoa." Bay took her hand, to stop her going any further. As he did, Zafrina and Bay locked eyes, and it took Bay a few moments to let go of her hand. "The noise... what if it attracts the creature?" Silence. Melody looked down at her locket, realizing the risk of using it.

"Well... it'll be a last resort." Finn said, trying to conceal his worry. "Unless we really can't find it... we'll have to use the locket." Melody nodded, and closed her fingers around the gold shell. Reluctantly accepting this, Bay and Zafrina lead the way. Zafrina had overheard where Triton had been captured, so the fact that Andrina had swum straight over Neptune's Scar from this point narrowed their search a little. They had a rough idea of where the trident was, but retrieving it would be difficult nonetheless. Melody swum beside Finn, heart thudding as she saw a dark shadow ahead, on the sea floor. Suddenly, she felt something brush her hand.

Melody looked to her right, where Finn swam. He gazed into her eyes, as he held her hand to reassure her. He clearly saw her fear. "Thank you." She whispered, squeezing his hand.

"It's going to be fine. We'll find the trident, free Triton, and this'll all be over." Finn gave her his crooked smile, and her heart fluttered. She was going to tell him once this was over - she was going to tell him how she felt about him, and who she really was.

Ahead, Bay and Zafrina slowed down. "We're here. This is roughly where Andrina said she dropped it." Zafrina clung to the shadows, clearly reluctant to go in. Neptune's Scar tore across the sea floor - a black, ragged crevice opened before them. It was surprisingly thin at the top, but inside the crevice, it widened, almost into a cavern. Shafts of light poured into the gap - from above, they didn't see any sign of the trident. This must have been the spot, for not far away, a cliff rose - the place where Triton had been captured. At first, it looked as though it were indeed a cliff, but instead, the rock went far above, to the surface. It must have been an island of some kind.

"Alright." Melody's grip on Finn's hand tightened. "Let's go in." Bay, followed by a reluctant Zafrina, disappeared through the gap. Finn began to lead the way in, but then Melody stopped. She glanced over her shoulder, thinking she saw a glint - like sunlight on tail scales, or on metal. But there was nothing.

"Melody?" Finn asked, blinking.

"It's fine... just me being paranoid." Melody insisted, before following him in, forgetting what she thought she saw.

The inside of Neptune's Scar was dark, and eerily quiet. Zafrina had the spear tip in hand, her eyes nervously flickering from one side of the crevice to the other, while Finn's hand, the hand that didn't grasp one of Melody's, kept twitching toward the knife in his belt. Every minute sound made some of the group jump. The serpent could be hiding anywhere. The crevice was rocky, and further down, the bottom of the scar was a black smudge. Melody had no idea how deep it really was, but she could guess.

A few scraggly plants struggled to grow, their bone-like stalks reaching desperately toward the weak light pouring in from the top of the crevice. A few silent fish swam about, and further down, stranger creatures would likely lurk. A couple of bones lay in places, perched on rock edges. As they had dreaded, the trident was no where in sight. They split into pairs - Finn and Melody, and Zafrina and Bay. They scoured the top of the crevice, praying that the trident had come to rest further up, but to their frustration, it wasn't in sight. The only way to find the trident was down.

Melody lead Finn downwards, reluctant, but knowing that the trident couldn't be anywhere else. At first, Finn went readily, but then Melody realized she was pulling him along. She twisted round. "Finn?"

"Sorry." The fear in Finn's voice was obvious. "It's just... me and Bay had to face the thing, when we were fifteen. It was to test our skills as warriors - Nia calls it a... a graduation ceremony." Melody took this in, appalled by this.

"Well... if she's beaten, no other kid will have to endure that. Or training." Melody tried to be optimistic, but she could see that Finn wasn't assured. His beautiful sea-green eyes were troubled and filled with fear.

"I know. I'm still afraid, though." Finn confessed, and again, Melody squeezed his hand to show her support. Her heart swelled a little more as she heard the vulnerability in his voice. However, these good thoughts were suddenly crushed, as she realized the darkness closing around them. The water was getting blacker, and Melody could hardly see. Slowly, she looked at Finn, and then up at Bay and Zafrina, who were making their way downwards as well. Reluctantly, Melody's hand went to her locket. Eyes screwed closed, Melody opened it.

Immediately, the glowing orb of Atlantica rose - in the darkness of the crevice, the light seemed brighter than it did in normal light. However, in the eerie silence that enfolded them, the usually comforting lullaby was unsettling, and loud. Above, Bay and Zafrina focused on keeping watch for any movements in the darkness.

"Can you see anything?" Whispered Finn, trying to pick out any sign of a trident. Melody turned at all angles, holding up the locket, squinting at their surroundings.

"No." She replied, in frustration. "I see noth..." Melody didn't finish her sentence. She didn't see anything, but she swore she felt something - almost as if someone had tugged a piece of her hair from the left. Melody turned, and again, felt this sensation pulling her down a few metres. Finn trailed her, looking about in unease.

Then she saw it. Her grandfather's trident lay on the edge of a rock shelf - the glisten of gold was captured by her locket. The three points were buried in sand, and a seaplant had begun to crawl it's way across the handle. "That's it. We found it." Melody raced down to the ledge, closing the locket, silencing the music. Her hands found the trident in the gloom, and she raised it up, her heart beating swiftly - she brushed off the sand and the seaplant. A great bubble of joy rose in her chest, and she began to smile. For some reason, it began to glow after not being handled for so long.

But then, as that moment, the glow of the trident, as it faded, caught something with it's light. Finn, who had swum down beside her, had seen it too. With huge eyes, Finn picked the glistening thing up. An enormous scale, a shade of bluish-green, glistened in his hand. Beside a puzzled Zafrina, Bay began to tremble with fear. "We have to get out of here." It was then that the mermaids realized - Finn held a sea serpent scale.

But they were too late. Above, there was a great movement. Stones and pebbles clattered down, and there was a great snarling from above. Melody whipped the trident upwards, and the dying light of the trident briefly illuminated the creature's face.

"Great Neptune." Whispered Zafrina, in a quivering voice.


	22. Nightmares into reality

The sea serpent's face was as large as Melody was tall. It's width was the length of her outstretched arms, and it's mouth quivered as it growled. Crooked yellow teeth stuck out of it's mouth at all angles, broken and crooked from age. While most of the teeth were yellow, the canine fangs were purple, for these were the ones that secreted venom. Every tooth was like a thorn, creul-looking and twisted. Like the loose scale, it was bluish green in colour, and quills stuck out between it's patchy face scales.

Scars marked the serpent's face, and the left eye socket was empty, for Otan had taken it's eye as proof when he had done the test at fifteen. The serpent bristled, and the scales and quills trembled more as it saw the other three intruders. A frill flared out from its neck, and it's jaws outstretched, revealing even more rows of needle-like teeth. A forked toungue slithered out, and a hissing was heard, like a land snake. Without a second thought, Finn seized Melody by the arm, yanking her away from the sea serpent.

"Swim!" He cried, knife in hand - he slashed it at the creature, and black blood rose like smoke as the animal briefly recoiled in pain, only to lunge forward in rage. The four merpeople whirled around, and tore through the crevice. With a high-pitched screech, the sea serpent began pursuit, chasing the four with it's jaws stretched open, prepared to snap it's jaws onto the first one it caught. Finn raced with Melody, their hands clutched, their skin going white from the tight grasp. Melody clung onto the trident, trying to figure out a way to use it against the serpent, where it continued to roar, snapping it's jaws. Zafrina made a break for above.

"Wait!" Bay protested. "The gap's too wide, it'll follow! We need to find a narrower part, where it can't follow through." Zafrina whipped round with wild golden eyes, before realizing that Bay was right. In panic, she raced back down, with Bay close behind. Finn and Melody were in front, with the other two on their tails, with the beast picking up speed.

"Hurry!" Finn urged, from ahead - the serpent's snarls were getting nearer by the second. As they swam for their lives, Finn thought he saw shadows chasing them, from above, but he thought nothing of it, for the very real terror of the sea serpent was all that consumed his thoughts. Flashbacks possessed his mind, of his and Bay's so-called 'graduation ceremony.' He remembered the snapping jaws - had he been sent in alone, the serpent would have eaten him. He had been cornered, facing his doom, and the only reason he was still alive was due to Bay throwing a spear at the beast's side.

Suddenly, the shaft of light from above vanished. In their frenzy, they had accidentally gone into the cave part of the Scar - the crevice opening was no longer in place. "Turn back! Turn -" Zafrina tried to turn, but the serpent loomed in the remaining light, snarling, blocking their way back.

"Not an option! There's an exit this way!" Bay pushed Zafrina on, as the creature began to follow. The merpeople weaved in and out of columns, where stalactites and stalacmites met. But the sea serpent was fast. It was set on Zafrina, who was panting, beginning to slow. Bay glanced back, and saw Zafrina gasping for breath, trying to hurry - but then the serpent was level with her. It swung it's great head into her, and Zafrina went flying with a shriek. She crashed straight into a column, and lay there, stunned, as the sea serpent advanced. It bristled, tongue lolling like a dog, triumph glistening in it's remaining eye.

Bay lunged, forgetting the fact that he was weaponless. He seized the creature from the back of it's head, and clung on. Regaining her senses, Zafrina realized what was going on. "Bay!" She screeched, seeing his floundering tail perilously close to the serpent's good eye. Too late. The serpent saw the green tail fins, and twisted it's head that way - as it's jaws closed on his tail, the sound that came from Bay's mouth was one of pure agony.

Hearing it, Finn and Melody spun round, to see part of the lower half of Bay's tail in the serpent's closed jaws. Bay was screeching, writhing like a caught fish, desperately trying to release his tail from the beast's grasp. Then, Zafrina had torn the trident from the shocked Melody's grasp, and the trident glowed gold, obeying it's holder's silent command. Bolts of electricity came flying out of the three points, hitting the serpent in the side.

A blood-curdling screech came from the creative's mouth, as it dropped Bay, who fell to the floor. The serpent continued to scream, electricity making it convulse and writhe - the bolts darted across it's body, like tiny snakes. It recoiled from Bay, smacking into a column; the unsteady stalatites shook at the impact, and a few stones fell from the ceiling. Zafrina then shoved the trident into Melody's arms, racing down to Bay's side. At first, Melody thought that he was dead. But then he moved - Bay struggled up, delirious in his pain. Melody and Finn darted down to the two, where Zafrina was trying to help him up.

Bay's tail was a mess. Ragged tooth marks scoured into his green tail, and a red cloud was defining itself, as he began to tremble. A purple mark was seeping across his tail. "Venom." Bay hissed, through gritted teeth, before his eyes slid shut. Zafrina looked down at him in horror.

"Hey! Don't you dare. Stay awake!" Zafrina shook Bay, and his eyes fluttered open again - but his eyes were already going glassy. She looked desperately at the other two. "We have to get out of here!" Zafrina insisted, as the serpent began to recover - it was beginning to move again, from where it lay. "Help me carry him, one of you!" Finn dived down to Bay, and together, they hauled the young merman up - he released a cry of pain as they did, and yet another crimson burst appeared from his wound. With Bay towed between them, Finn and Zafrina made a beeline for the glimmer of light at the end of the cave. Melody followed, aiming bolts at the serpent, but she missed everytime. The beast had recovered, and it was furious. It's remaining eye glowed with malice as it lunged.

It's jaws closed on water, for Melody had darted clear. She drove the trident into it's neck, and the serpent released another roar, writhing to be free of the weapon. She thought, at some point, that one of the trident points had drove into the remaining eye, but she couldn't be sure. The serpent, more enraged then ever, tore forwards, blindly crashing into columns and the ceiling, but still in her direction. By now, the other three were gone, vanishing through the exit - rocks tumbled around her. Melody barely had any time to get out before the stones blocked her escape.

Melody heard the blood roaring in her ears, with her heartbeat and her breathing above anything else. The serpent disappeared under a pile of falling rocks and stalactites, as Melody plunged through the exit. She came tumbling, onto soft sand instead of rock. The trident flew out of her grasp - but Melody did not hear the shouting of her friends, urging her to flee.

Melody was thrust into terrifying reality. Bay lay, shaking on the ground as the venom spread. Zafrina was locked in the grasp of a mermaid and a merman, fighting to get to Bay. Finn had a heavily muscled arm around his throat - to Melody's horror, it was Otan. He grinned mockingly, as Finn writhed in his grip. "Greetings, _Granddaughters of Triton."_ Otan grinned at Zafrina, who shrunk back in terror, reminded of what he did to her neck. The bandage had been misplaced, and now it lay on the ground. Her neck was grey and purple still, although large splotches of normal skin colour and the yellow of fading bruises were showing.

It was then that Melody saw a silver and blonde-haired mermaid crouching over Bay, with a grey tail. "Get away from him, seacow!" Zafrina spat, struggling in vain. _Seacow._ Melody knew who the insult was aimed at. Suddenly, Bay went stiff. The mermaid's hands were positioned at least a foot away from the mauled part of his tail, and now, the purple splotch against his green tail was shrinking. A purple cloud was being drained out of the wounds. The venom came together, and moved by itself into a vial, which then moved into a seaweed bag at a mermaid's waist - Melody stiffened, recognizing Ontari. Ontari glared at her, hatred glistening in her unfriendly brown gaze.

Bay now lay still, no longer convulsing, but a red mist still floated up from his wound. While the venom had been extracted, the wound was still terrible. Finn desperately struggled against Otan. "Melody! Go, please!" He pleaded, and Zafrina was doing the same thing. The mermaid crouched over Bay then began to rise. Slowly, she turned to face Melody, and Melody was frozen in her icy grey stare.

Everything about Queen Nia was grey. Her long hair was harshly pulled back, showing a receeding hairline, and her hair was silver except for some silver-tinted, patchy blonde past her shoulders. Her tail was grey, and her torso, instead of seashells to cover her chest, was entirely covered, stomach as well, by a sheet of silver metal armour shaped like a sweetheart-neckline bodice. Her pale skin was sallow and sunken in, and her grey eyes were penetrating, like polished pieces of ice. Despite all this, Nia was beautiful despite the hostility within her features. An array of knives were attached to her waist via a belt, and a spear was grasped in her left hand.

"Queen Nia." Melody said, too shocked to pick up the trident, which lay, vulnerable, a few metres away.

"Greetings, Melody." Nia's voice was brittle, like the splintering of ice. "What brings you to my kingdom?" Melody shrank back, feeling cold in the mermaid's sinister glare.

"I... we're just..." Melody's tongue was swollen, and she could barely speak.

"Just retrieving your grandfather's trident?" Nia narrowed her eyes. Suddenly, Melody recovered her voice. She tried to look unfazed by the queen's presence.

"What did you do to my grandfather?" Melody demanded. "Where is he?" Nia didn't reply - her eyes flickered upwards, and then a spear was crushed over Melody's chest, pinning her back. Someone held onto her, trapping her between them and the spear pole. She struggled in vain, trying to free herself. Finn angrily surged against Otan.

"Nia! Let her go, please!" He stared desperately at Nia. "I'm begging you!"

"Listen to you, Finnley." Otan taunted. "Begging - you sound just like that miserable little six year old, crying over your mommy's dead body..." Finn stiffened, and so did Melody. "Sound familiar? 'Please wake up!'" Otan sneered.

"Shut it!" Melody snapped, rage building. "Stop, look at what you're doing to him!" Finn was trembling, emotion in his eyes. She fought against the spear.

"Nia, please." Finn was ignoring Otan's taunts. "Take my life, if you want. Just... just let my friends go."

"Why would I take the life of one of my most valuable warriors?" Nia turned around, advancing on Finn. He almost shrank back in fear, but he kept it back, meeting her gaze boldly.

"I won't fight for you." Finn vowed, glaring at Nia with utter hatred. "I'll never fight for you. I'll fight for her." He looked at Melody. "And for them." He glanced at Zafrina and Bay. "But not for you, not after what you did to my mother."

"Oh?" Nia rose an eyebrow. "If you knew, Finn. If you knew what your pretty little mermaid was..." she looked back to Melody, with a terrifying smile. "...you would change your mind." Melody's blood ran cold. She stared at Nia, heart thudding in her chest.

"Don't you dare." Hissed Zafrina. "Don't you say it, seawitch." Nia ignored Zafrina. She moved closer to Melody, eyes cold. Melody struggled violently, straining to get away from the older mermaid, but the spear trapped her there.

"If you knew what this girl was..." Nia stared menacingly at Melody.

"How did you find out?" Whispered Melody. Behind Nia, Finn's struggles slowed, as he listened. He glanced from Nia to Melody, confused.

"Melody? What does she mean?"

"You don't know?" Nia asked, spinning round. "Oh, my dear nephew. She hasn't been honest." Silence spread over Melody and Zafrina - Bay was still passed out on the floor, but Bay had kept this secret. Slowly, Melody looked at Finn.

"She... she's your _aunt?"_ Melody asked, in shock. Finn looked away, shame in his eyes, but before she could ask more, Nia swarmed in Finn's face.

"You may have kept a few secrets, but they're nothing compared to what she's been keeping from you. We've been following your little party since the beginning - we were going to capture you all at first, but then Otan suggested that we wait for you all to find the trident for us. We've heard many of your silly conversations." Melody felt Zafrina's horrified gaze bore into her, as they both recalled that night, where they had sheltered in a cave after the events in Pramheda. Had the falling pebbles been a patrol listening to her and Zafrina? _They know everything. Me, my real life. My... my bracelet._ Nia's sinister eyes were fixated on Melody's wrist. Her hand rose, reaching for the bracelet even though Melody wasn't in arm's reach.

"What are you doing?" Melody asked, slowly. Nia glanced at Finn, who continued to fight for freedom against Otan.

"Let me show you the truth." Suddenly, Melody felt a great tugging on her wrist - the bracelet wrist. She was powerless to stop the bracelet moving, for Nia had it in her control. Melody watched in pure horror as the bracelet was magically torn from her wrist - it travelled through the water, where Nia suspended it in front of Finn. He looked on, with large, confused eyes.

"Don't! Please!" Zafrina screeched, bucking and writhing to be free, to snatch the bracelet away. "Don't do this to her! She's innocent!"

"Humans aren't innocent." Nia snarled, simply. Then the red stone turned three times.

Melody felt a twitching in her tail. Then her tail was floundering by itself, and the merperson holding her let her go. The tail began to glow, and ripple at the stone did what it was made for, reverting Melody back. The red scales were blending together into a pale, ivory smear, her tail fins changing shape and thickening. Finn was watching, too shocked to react. Melody twisted and writhed in the water, horrified as she looked down see her tail split in two. Then, all traces of Melody's tail were gone. Her legs and feet churned uselessly through the water, and she flailed like a fish.

 _"Melody!"_ Zafrina screamed, in pure horror. It was just like her nightmare - and now, it was becoming reality. Just like in the horrible dream, Melody's eyes began to bulge, and her lips began to turn blue as a crushing sensation overtook her chest. Her lungs screamed for air, and invisible hands tore at her throat, as her body pleaded for oxygen - something Melody couldn't give. Nia, Otan, and the merpeople began to laugh, watching the near-nude human struggling upwards, barely able to swim. Finn's mouth opened, but no sound came out, as the truth flailed and twisted before his eyes.

In a final act of desperation, Zafrina's teeth came down on the arm of a mermaid holding her, and she broke the skin. The mermaid released a scream, leaping away from her hostage. Barely a second later, Zafrina thrust her elbow upwards, and there was a snapping sound, as the merman released her, nose broke and bleeding. Liberated, Zafrina dived at the trident, seizing it off the seafloor.

Wildly, she aimed it at their enemies without hesitation. Bolts and golden shafts of light flew as Zafrina ordered the trident to do it's worst. Merpeople shrieked, trying to avoid the trident's power. Nia was knocked to the side by a bolt - she howled in pain as the volts shook her body. The metal armour rippled with electricity, before breaking away, revealing blackened sea shells. Nia lay on the seabed, stunned by the electric attack. Otan released Finn, springing at Zafrina.

"How dare you attack the -" but Otan didn't finish. Zafrina whirled around, aiming the trident at his head. Otan was sent flying, crashing into Ontari. He yelled in agony, the right side of his face erupting into burns and blisters, and Ontari leapt back in horror.

"Finn!" Shrieked Zafrina, above the unbearable noise. "Get her to the surface! Don't worry about me!" Zafrina hovered over Bay, still firing bolts and energy from the trident. Sand flew up, creating cover for Finn.

Finn wanted to stop and ask questions. He wanted to help Zafrina and Bay. But then he saw Melody - her eyes had slid shut, and she floated there, unmoving and eerily still amongst the pandemonium. Despite the fact that she had legs, she was still the Melody he knew and loved. He grabbed her bracelet, and then, without hesitation, Finn seized Melody in his arms. He swam straight for the surface, which rippled far above. He was unseen against the commotion and clouds of dust the trident had created. Down below, even more chaos broke loose as the merpeople attempted to get near Zafrina and Bay.

Finn exploded through the surface of the ocean. He looked down, desperately, praying that he wasn't too late. In his arms, Melody was limp and unmoving, and he couldn't tell whether she was alive or not. "Melody? Melody!" He cried, frantically, turning her face toward him. Melody was unresponsive, her face muscles slack, her mouth hanging open. A stream of water was trickling out of her mouth, and her hair was plastered against her face. He pushed the hair out of her closed eyes, shocked by the sight of her legs, which hung limply into the water.

His heart filled with fear for the unconscious human in his arms, Finn swam toward the nearby island.


	23. Broken souls

Melody felt rough stones and pebbles scraping her cheek, and when she opened her eyes, blackness cloaked her vision. A surge of panic tore through her, but then she realized it was only her hair. Pain radiated throughout her chest, and when Melody tried to rise, she found herself unable to rise more than a few inches. She collapsed back down, back into the sand. She was confused, when she felt wetness on her tail fins, but no where else. _Not anymore._ Melody slowly looked down, to see her legs lying on the wet sand, her feet sticking out of the rock overhang.

Rain hammered down, cold on her feet, and Melody dragged them back, into the shelter. Her teeth chattered in the lashing rain, and water dripped from a crack in the rock above. There was an ominous rumble of thunder above, and when Melody looked up, the sky was black with both clouds and night sky. A faint hazel glow behind some clouds showed that the moon was full, or almost full, at least. The stars weren't visible, as the storm raged overhead.

It was then that Melody remembered what had happened before she had lost consciousness. Her blood turned as cold as the rain, and she remembered Nia's deranged laughter, her icy, hateful eyes. She remembered the brutal crushing within her lungs, Zafrina screaming, seeing Bay unconscious and bleeding on the sea floor. She thought she remembered flashes of golden light and electricity. The last thing she remembered was Finn's shocked face.

 _Finn._ Nia's nephew. Melody couldn't believe it - why didn't he tell her that Nia was his aunt? At first, she felt betrayed that he had kept this from her, but then she realized that her secret was so much bigger. She hadn't told Finn what she truly was - she'd lied about so much, because she had been afraid of him before. She wasn't afraid now - she'd stopped being afraid of him long ago, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him that everything she'd said was a lie. He knew now, anyway.

It was then that Melody realized that she was nearly naked. She quickly looked down, to see a series of leaves and seaweed covering her between her hips and her knees, protecting her modesty. Confusion rolled through her, but when she saw a dark blue tail scale snagged on a stone, she realized. Finn must have brought her to the surface.

Finn had placed her under a rock overhang, right next to a stream of water that ran through a shallow sand channel. That must have been how he got her so far up the beach, for the sand and shingle ended in scraggly pines, the channel turning to a small river that disappeared into the trees. The island was forested and rocky, and the rain continued to crash down upon the island.

 _Finn... Zafrina, Bay!_ The names shouted in Melody's mind. What had happened to Zafrina and Bay? And Finn? She was entirely, and utterly, alone, in the pouring rain. Melody huddled to the back of the rock overhang, freezing cold, with the tears making her vision blurry. _This is all my fault. If only I hadn't opened the stupid locket, if I hadn't let go of the trident, if I... if I..._ Melody couldn't stop the uncontrollable sobs. They shook her body, until she couldn't hold it back. Melody began to weep out loud, hands covering her face as she began to cry. The tears streamed, as heavy as the rainstorm.

Melody tried to gain some control. She tried to keep back the sobbing, but she choked on her own tears. As she wiped her eyes, something cool touched her cheek. Melody sniffed, and blinked rapidly to clear her tear-filled vision, expecting mud. But then she paused as she looked down. Mud didn't glisten red and gold - she couldn't believe it. Her bracelet curled around her wrist, the braided gold and the ruby-like jewel glistening. Melody's tears lessened, and she brought it close to her face. Finn had retrieved it.

Melody looked from her legs, to the bracelet, to the sea. She had to find Finn - had to find out what was going on, tell him the truth. Slowly, shaking, Melody staggered to her feet. She stumbled across the sand, unsteady, toes getting caught under everything, blinded by the lashing rain - then she went flying, into the shingle. Pain scraped her hands, and then her lower lip trembled like a toddler's. But then she felt someone watching her. Slowly, she looked up.

There he was. Finn's hair dripped with rainwater, as he watched her from the sea, a few metres away. "Finn?" She whispered, tears rolling uncontrollably down her face. She staggered to her feet, turned the stone, before stumbling into the waves. As her legs drew back together, she continued moving forward, desperate to reach Finn. Finally, her tail had established to the point of which she was unable to walk. Melody went flying, into Finn's arms, the moment her tail completed it's manifestation. He held her, as she wept against his chest. "I'll tell you everything." She whispered.

 _Meanwhile_

Some rope and a stick had been tied onto Bay's tail, just before the serpent bite, creating a temporary tourniquet. The bleeding had stopped, but Bay's tail was still a mess. But the wound or the fact that it would probably scar wasn't his top priority. He knew several things now: Melody was a human in a mermaid's guise, and, after she had been forced back to her human form, both she and Finn had apparently vanished. Bay was worried about them both - his best friend missing, and Melody, astonishingly, was truly a human, but he had more serious things to worry about.

While he had been unconscious, Zafrina had finally been beaten despite her vicious attack. More merpeople had arrived upon hearing the commotion, and the trident had finally been torn from her grasp after many casualties. Most of the merpeople who had dragged her and Bay to Nia's cave 'palace' bore burns and gouges from the trident's assault, and others, Nia included, had been knocked out as a result of electrocution. Several were being carried - in the chaos, Otan had been terribly, but deservedly, burned. One side of his face was now raw pink and crimson, and he was half bald. The injuries were likely to scar.

Now that Nia had regained consciousness, Bay and Zafrina were being shoved along a stone corridor, by those who hadn't been knocked out during the attack. They were receiving the coldest glares imaginable - Bay couldn't believe that he had once passed these merpeople in the city path, trained alongside them. Pain continued to radiate through his tail - he was practically being dragged along, since his injury rendered him barely able to swim. Nia had extracted the venom, but Bay knew she wouldn't have saved him unless he was of any use to her. What did she have planned?

His hand was fastened onto Zafrina's - she was clutching onto his hand so tight it was going as numb as his tail last the tourniquet. Bay knew she was as afraid as he was. And Bay was terrified for her - Zafrina had electrocuted the queen, rendered her finest soldiers seriously injured, and disfigured Otan even more than Finn had. He would want Zafrina's head, but Bay wouldn't allow that. He wasn't going to let them hurt her, even if that meant he had to pay the price. He had promised to protect her, and he never broke his promises.

A series of statues watched them from the shadows - Bay had heard that Nia could turn people to stone, and now it was proven, for he saw the look of terror frozen on every face. His heart leapt into his throat, when he recognized a bearded merman in a crouching position. Triton lay on the floor, unseen by Zafrina, his stone eyes filled with both rage and fear. Bay couldn't bring himself to tell her.

Suddenly, Bay and Zafrina were thrust through some doors, flat on their faces. Bay lay there on the floor, groaning in pain, for the tourniquet had been dislodged - fresh blood began to drift up. Zafrina gasped, and hastily went to readjust it in the right place. The moment she finished, however, she was pulled away from Bay. "Zafrina!" Bay lurched, trying to reach for her outstretched hand, but she was out of his reach. Desperately, he tried to rise, but his wound stopped him, incapacitating his ability to swim.

"Get off me!" Zafrina snapped, struggling violently, straining to get back to Bay. She didn't stop struggling, not even when Nia turned around, from a glass-like pool. Nia wore the blackened armour, her hair singed, a burn on one arm from where Zafrina had struck her. She stalked forwards; the knives were still sitting at her waist, and the trident was propped against the wall.

"I should kill you now." Nia hissed, angrily. "You nearly killed me and my soldiers with your careless actions."

"You nearly killed my cousin!" Zafrina spat defensively, with rage. "What did you expect me to do? Sit there?" She continued to fight against the mermen holding her. "What do you want with us? Why don't you just kill us now?"

"Because you're of use to me." Nia said, simply. "Why would I waste two valuable fighters? I trained him, and you've done a _marvellous_ job of showing your strength." Zafrina stiffened. "Both of you have potential. Well, at this moment in time, only you do." Her scorching gaze raked Bay. "He is useless, with that mangled tail." Bay flinched.

"He's not useless!" Zafrina declared, eyes blazing with passion. "All you care about is power. The physical condition of your army, your people, is all that matters. You've never known friendship, so you wouldn't know how useful Bay is to me. Not because he's good with a spear or a knife, but because he's a good person. You'll never know friendship or love, not like me and Bay do." _Love?_ Bay thought. _Does Zafrina...?_ "I won't fight for you! And there's no way you'll persuade us or torture us until we do, like you did with Alex, Serenity, Mereditha, and the other three. We'd rather die." Zafrina glared at Nia, unafraid. Nia's eyes flashed.

"Persuade? Torture?" She asked, before laughing. "You think I _convinced_ them to take my side? Ridiculous! And torture doesn't work, child. Why would I damage their capabilities? No, I have a much, much better way." Nia moved toward Zafrina. "Let me show you." Zafrina's eyes widened.

"What are you doing? Get away from me!" Zafrina lashed out with her tail, and shoved against her restrainers, as Nia drew closer, like an animal waiting to pounce.

"No!" Bay struggled uselessly on the ground, as someone pressed a spear to the back of his neck. "Don't touch her!" He didn't know what Nia was going to do, but he knew, deep down, that he couldn't let Nia go through with whatever she was planning. There was something sinister about to happen.

Zafrina surged against her restrainers, attempting to free herself, as Nia came closer still. She bucked and writhed, not one muscle remaining still, the mermen struggling to keep a hold of her - a mermaid from the side rushed to help restrain Zafrina, but even that was no enough to contain the mermaid. Nia was now barely a few feet away - her hands rose, as she went to come into contact with Zafrina's temples. In defiance, Zafrina spat in Nia's face. Nia's eyes lost their patience, exploding with an indescribable fury. The grey ice burned into grey fire.

"That's it! Hold her!" She commanded. Yet another mermaid rushed to help, and Zafrina continued to spit, her only defence. A merman tried to cover her mouth, but Zafrina only sank her sharp teeth into his hand. He cried out, as she drew blood, and the four merfolk threw her against the wall, while an impatient Nia looked on. The mermen held her arms, one mermaid pinned her shoulders, and the remaining mermaid shoved a rag across Zafrina's mouth, severing her last defence. Zafrina's screams were muffled but still incredibly audible, as she struggled violently. But finally, Zafrina was still enough for Nia to carry out her plan. The receiver had to be near absolute still for it to work, and she needed to be in contact with their heads for a certain length of time.

Nia pressed a hand on Zafrina's right temple, before closing her eyes and focusing. Tiny bolts emerged from Nia's hands, red and wriggling, almost like tiny snakes, and suddenly, Zafrina's movements slowed down. The four merfolk slowly let go, backing away, and the second mermaid removed the rag from Zafrina's mouth. The look of anger on Zafrina's face faded, and her eyes slid shut - before her mouth opened in a piercing scream, as the bolts began to seep into her skin. "Zafrina!" Exclaimed Bay, in horror. "Nia, stop! Whatever you're doing, stop! Please, I'm begging you!" He desperately tried to swim, thrashing on the floor.

"Restrain him." Ordered Nia, without taking her eyes or contact off Zafrina, and the four merpeople quickly grabbed onto him. Bay struggled against them, ignoring the pain in his tail from his wound.

Suddenly, Zafrina's screams stopped abruptly, and she slid down the wall. The red bolts continued to dance madly across her face, with more sinking into her forehead. Nia dropped her hand, and then she backed away. The four merpeople released him, and Bay dragged himself over to Zafrina. He turned her face toward him, where the last red bolt had faded away. Her face was absolutely still, and expressionless. "Zafrina!" He looked up at Nia, with utter horror and disgust. "What did you do to her?" Bay demanded, furiously, but then Zafrina moved. Her eyelids slid open - but as they did, his heart stopped. The golden flame of her eyes was smothered by mist - a grey sheet of blankness, just like how he had seen on the Atlanticans Alex and Mereditha. "Zafrina?" He whispered. Zafrina stared blankly at him, no recognition whatsoever in her glassy eyes. Bay's heart then leapt into his throat.

"You won't get a word out of her." Nia said, silkily, as Bay shook Zafrina. "She'll only do what _I_ say. That's the truth. I needed more warriors to conquer Atlantica, warriors that wouldn't protest or take mercy."

"So..." a realization dawned upon him. That explained everything. Nia was controlling merpeople. _The glassy eyes, mechanical movements, the unresponsiveness, obedience. She's been picking off merfolk, anyone strong, to make her army bigger and more powerful. She's going to conquer kingdoms everywhere, starting with Atlantica._ "Mind control? Perfectly obedient soldiers? Are you... are you kidding me?" Bay stared at Nia in horror. "You're a barbarian! Is this how far you're willing to go to get more power?"

"Zafrina." Nia ignored him. Suddenly, Zafrina rose, where she floated bolt upright. Her disturbing gaze fixed on Nia, with complete obedience. "You and Narcissus will take him to a cell, right now. When he heals, bring him to me so I can add another soldier to my ranks." The next few minutes were a blur. Bay shouted and protested as Zafrina and Narcissus seized him, dragged him roughly through the corridor, to the stone stairs. All the way, Bay desperately tried to get through to Zafrina, but there was no response.

Bay was shoved into a dark cell. He tumbled across the floor, with a cry of pain as something scraped his wound, and Zafrina's bag was tossed in after him. The contents spilled across the floor - his book, Zafrina's possessions. Zafrina calmly locked the cell, as Bay painfully crawled to the bars. He stared pleadingingly, praying that she recognize him. "Please, Zafrina... snap out of it! Zafrina..." He said her name over and over, trying to break through the wall Nia had built. He stared into her eyes, which were still beautiful despite their blankness. "I... I can't let her do this to you. I promised you I'd keep you safe... please, come back to me. Don't let me... don't let me break my promise." Bay held his breath, waiting for a response.

But, to his dismay, Zafrina completely ignored him. Not even looking at him, she pulled the key out of the lock and left, leaving a horrified Bay clinging to cell bars for the second time in his life.


	24. Love's light

The surface rippled around a metre or two above Melody and Finn's heads, from pounding rain and the tide. They sat, side-by-side, on the sloping sand. Luckily for them, the island was surrounded by a sloping bank of sand that stretched many metres, before dropping off to form the sea cliffs. They could stay up here, hidden, away from Nia's patrols until they had a plan. That wasn't happening any time soon - the group was halved, with Zafrina and Bay gone. Freeing them from Nia's heavily guarded cave palace was hilariously impossible.

Earlier, Finn had placed Melody under the overhang, out of the rain, before he had raced back to help Zafrina and Bay. But by the time he got there, the trident had been wrestled away from Zafrina. She had permanently disfigured Otan with hideous baldness and what would become wrinkled burn scars, electrocuted Nia, and almost killed others. Then, he had watched, powerless, as she and Bay had been knocked out with green urchin spines, and carried away.

Finn had followed at a distance, unable to save his friends - they had been taken straight into Nia's stone palace, and Finn had been forced to turn back. Along the way, he had heard that a hunt had been casted for him and Melody, and he had also heard news of the advancing, allied army of Atlanticans and Deloreans, who hailed from Queen Attina's kingdom-by-marriage, Delorea. They were a few days away, but Nia was waiting for them to come to her.

"I was born seventeen years ago, to the human king and queen, Eric and Ariel." Melody started from the very beginning. "My mother is the youngest daughter of Triton, but when she sixteen, she saved and fell in love with a human, Eric. She wanted to be part of his world - human and his love. So she traded her voice to the seawitch, Ursula, for human legs. You've heard of her?" Finn nodded. "Alright. The deal was that if Ariel got the human Eric to fall in love with her, she got to remain human. While it was successful, the spell wore off before the spell could be sealed, and she was turned back into a mermaid. She got her voice back, but Ursula basically got the trident off Triton and all havoc broke loose. In the end, Ursula was killed, the trident returned, and my grandfather, seeing how much Ariel loved Eric, turned her into a human permanently."

"So... a few months later, I was born. Human, of course. There was this grand christening ceremony, out to sea, but the party was interrupted by another seawitch - Ursula's sister, Morgana. She attacked us, but luckily, I was unhurt. She swore vengeance for Ursula, and she threatened me. My mother decided that the best way to keep me safe was to keep all knowledge of the sea hidden - my heritage, the very existence of merfolk... they even banned me from going into the sea. Twelve years later, I had been sneaking out anyway to swim, but... one thing lead to another, and I put my trust in the wrong person - Morgana herself. She turned me into a mermaid, and she lied to me that the trident belonged to her. Like an idiot, I trusted this creepy green sack of bones with tentacles, and when my mother came for me to get the trident back, all was revealed. When Morgana was defeated, my parents told me everything. Who I am, what I am... everything. I met my merfolk family, including Zafrina, and for the last five years I've been human. Still with me?"

"Yes." Finn nodded. "Go on."

"Alright. Basically, I've been missing the ocean ever since, even though I'm allowed out now. I couldn't keep up with my merfolk friends - they could go swimming far out, but I couldn't, not without drowning. My grandfather heard this, and so, at one of my aunt's suggestions, he made me this." Melody rose the bracelet wrist. "If I turn the stone three times while human, I'm changed into mermaid, and vice versa." She sighed. "So no, it's not a family heirloom. I made that up."

"Melody..." Finn's eyes were wide, with utter disbelief and astonishment, but he knew she was telling the truth. He was silent for a few moments. "Why... why didn't you tell me?"

"Well... everyone was telling me how bad Nia and her people were, their attitudes toward humans and Atlanticans. I guess I was... I didn't trust you. I was afraid of how you'd react... afraid of you. But I'm not anymore." Melody felt tears coming, but she held them back. "I swear on my life, I would have told you eventually. I just didn't want you to find out like that." Melody looked in direction of Neptune's Scar. "I'm sorry for lying, Finn. I truly am sorry - if I could go back and change it... I would. I don't deserve your forgiveness, but...?" Melody's heart sprang into her throat, as she waited for his reply. Finn's expression was unreadable. "I know you'll never forgive me, and I don't blame you... I was, I was -"

"Melody." Finn interrupted. She looked up. To her shock and disbelief, he offered her a small smile. "Of course I forgive you. You hid your past, because you was afraid of how I'd react. I can understand that, because I hid my relation to Nia for the exact same reason." Melody's heart sank back down into her chest, and her eyes closed in relief. They opened, as she heard his last sentence. "So I owe you an explanation."

"Finn... you honestly don't have to..." Melody began.

"No. You told me the truth, so I'll tell you the truth as well." Finn's eyes casted downwards. "I was around six years old. Merissa loved me, and while her sister Nia didn't treat me as a nephew, she wasn't a bother except that she and Merissa didn't get along. But then their father... the widowed king of my kingdom... made his dying wish."

 _Finnley sat on the floor, playing with his toys, while his mother sat before a mirror. It had been a few weeks since the death of his grandfather, and his mother's coronation was a few hours away. His grandfather had succumbed to a strange illness, and on his deathbed, he had declared his eldest heir, Nia, unfit to rule, passing the crown to the next-in-line, Merissa._

 _Finnley didn't know much about his aunt. Nia was almost ten years older than his mother, Merissa, but she didn't exactly treat him like a nephew. Rumour had it that Nia was the illegitimate daughter of the former queen and a magic-wielding stranger, because not only did Merissa and the king and queen lack magical talent, but Nia bore a strikingly visual resemblance to the magical stranger with whom the former queen spent a lot of time with, before he had vanished. The former queen had denied these rumours, of course._ _Ten years on, Finnley's mother had been born, her legitimacy glaringly obvious - she carried a birthmark shared by the king, a splash of darker skin on one cheek, with this being passed to her son, Finnley._

 _Finnley didn't think that his aunt Nia had been deemed unfit to rule because of her blood. His grandfather had apparently loved and treated her as his own daughter, but Nia was strange. Unlike the good and honest Merissa, Nia was rude, dishonest, and she was a barbarian. She had a burning hatred for humans, because her mother, the former queen, had been killed as a result of being snared by a fishing net. This net had caught her neck, and by the time she had been freed, it was too late to save her. Countless human bodies were seen near the surface, whenever a ship sailed overhead._

 _Nia, naturally, had been absolutely furious, having her - although questionable - birthright taken away from her. Merissa didn't even want the crown, only accepting it because of the possibility of Nia sending the kingdom to war. She was training children to fight, and many times she had tried to persuade Merissa to have Finnley start training. Merissa denied everytime, because she didn't want her son being involved in violence._

 _"Mommy! Watch this!" Finnley plucked up a little shark toy, carved from driftwood. He waved it through the water, giggling happily. Merissa looked around, from where she was doing her coronation updo. She smiled adoringly at her son, before getting up, and sitting on the floor beside him. She pulled him onto her lap, as Finnley continued to wave the shark._

 _"Oh no!" Cried Merissa, dramatically. "Here comes a kraken!" She picked up an octopus toy, of similar size to the shark. She waved it in front of the toy shark, prancing it around the space. Finnley let out a mock growling, and the shark knocked against the octopus's tentacles. Merissa laughed, and she dropped the octopus. "Your shark wins!" She exclaimed, and Finnley giggled with delight. But then, Merissa glanced up, smile fading as she heard voices outside. Wasn't the coronation a few hours away? She frowned, hearing protests, and a few thumps._

 _"Mommy, look -" Finnley looked up at his mother, before pausing in confusion. Her eyes were fixed on the doors. "Mom?" He asked, before jolting, hearing a loud crash outside. His eyes widened, as Merissa suddenly got up._

 _"Finnley, get behind me." Merissa said, quickly._

 _"What's going on?" He asked, on puzzlement._

 _"Behind me, now!" Merissa exclaimed, urgently, as there was a loud crash._ _Fearful at the tone of her voice, the little merboy quickly scuttled behind his mother's pale blue tail. He peered around her, with big sea-green eyes, as something was thumped against the door. Merissa slowly reached toward a cabinet, which had her personal silver dagger lying upon it. The handle and blade was made of silver, with swirling lines engraved along the handle. Blue sapphires were embedded in the middle of the blade, running all the way up to the tip, and thin lines of pale opalite lined the sapphire on both sides._ _Suddenly, the doors flew open. But, to Finnley's surprise, a mermaid with a grey tail and blonde hair was floating there. She entered the room, and the doors closed by themselves, as Nia's powers gave her the ability to do. Merissa sighed, and relaxed a little against Finnley. "Nia. What a... what a pleasant surprise."_

 _"Merissa." Nia said, curtly. Finnley's young heart fluttered in his chest, with nervousness. Was she going to ask Merissa to let her train him again? Behind Nia, two mermen waited. Their eyes were dark and emotionless - an eight-year-old merboy, Otan, hovered next to one, for that merman was his father. Otan was, according to Nia, her most promising trainee._

 _"What brings you here, Nia?" Merissa asked, nervously. "Shouldn't you be at the ceremony, preparing?" Nia stiffened at the mention of the coronation ceremony._

 _"I would, Merissa. I would, if I were the youngest. Unfortunately, I'm the eldest." Finnley felt his mother stiffen, and he felt fear begin to manifest itself at the cold look in his aunt's eyes._

 _"We've talked about this, Nia. Our father... he said that I should rule, not you. I'm only honouring his wish." Merissa shuffled with discomfort. "Now, please... I'd appreciate it if you left."_ _But Nia didn't move. It was then that Merissa spotted the glistening from Nia's right hand. A dagger was clutched in Nia's hand, gold and tinged in red. Merissa and Finnley's blood ran cold. "Nia, what are you doing?" She asked, slowly._

 _"Claiming my birthright." Nia answered. "I'm sorry, Merissa." The atmosphere crackled like thunder. Finnley's heart raced, because he didn't understand the situation. Where were the guards, the ones who had been stationed by the doors? But then he froze. Behind Nia's shadowed accomplices and young Otan, two shadows lay on the floor, a red mist forming over them._

 _"Sister -" Merissa began, but then the golden blade in Nia's hand flew magically through the air. Merissa gasped, her voice cutting off - but then she crumpled to the floor. Finnley screamed, seeing the golden blade embedded in her chest, and he crouched next to her head, his small hands clutching onto his mother's. Merissa twitched violently, gasping and shuddering beneath her son. Her warm brown eyes were glazing over, but they were still filled with utter love. She reached up, with a trembling hand, and drew it across his cheek. "Don't... don't let her change you." She whispered. "Be my sweet, brave little Finn." She curled her hand around his neck, pulling him closer, pressing her lips to his forehead - before her hand fell away from his face, and her eyes slid shut._

"I kept the knife. It's all I have of her." Finn whispered. The knife lay in his hand, embedded with sapphires and opalite - a silver sheath had covered it before, hiding the wondrous interior. "Nia killed her own sister, so that she could be queen. And now, because of Nia, everyone who doesn't know me fears me. She transformed my kingdom into a horror show, ruined our reputation. Because of her, my mother was murdered, for a crown she didn't truly want. Since then, nobody has ever cared, or loved me." Melody stared at Finn, shocked and stunned by the story.

"Finn..." Melody felt tears, but in the water, they were invisible. "I'm so... so sorry." Finn nodded, eyes closed, his fists clenched as he fought down his tears. "Finn, let it out. You don't have to keep it in - just let it go." Melody placed her hand upon his, waiting for him to let his emotions loose. But at her touch, Finn went loose under her hand. His tense muscles relaxed, and his tears retreated.

"I'm alright." Finn whispered. "You... you just made me feel so much better."

"Are you sure?" Asked Melody, cautiously.

"Yeah. I'm okay." Finn said, much more certainly. He covered her hand with his free one, holding it tight. "It's just... when I'm with you, Melody, I feel so much better about myself. You make me feel... accepted, secure. I guess that doesn't make any sense, does it? I sound so..."

"No." Melody interrupted. "Believe me, Finn. That makes perfect sense." She placed her free hand upon his arm. "When I'm with you, I feel... complete, safe." She shook her head. "You've lost so much, Finn, and I'm sorry. But you've made Merissa so proud, you know - you really have remained her sweet and brave son. Nia's no family to you - she tried to change you into a soldier, but you didn't let her. You're the most special merman I know." Her hand moved up to his face. "And you're wrong. You are loved. Bay loves you as his best friend, and you know what? _I_ love you." She said it boldly at first, but at the look on his face, her cheeks went hot. Melody shook her head, before turning, and swimming away.

"Melody, wait!" Finn chased after her, and Melody spun round, as he seized her hand. They floated there, bodies close, with Melody looking up into his eyes, nervous at how he would react. "I love you too." The words came easily to Finn's mouth.

Melody felt tears of happiness in her eyes - had they been above the surface, the tears would have been rolling down her cheeks. She was suddenly lost in the sea-green of Finn's eyes, and he was ensnared within her blue gaze. Slowly, uncertainly, Finn kissed her on the lips. It was awkward at first, for neither of them had been kissed before, and Melody initially pulled away, with round eyes. Finn blushed, wondering if he had done something wrong. But then a mischievous smile appeared on her lips, and her hands went to the sides of his face. She didn't think anymore, pressing her lips to his. Finn's hands went into the black silk of her hair, and Melody wrapped her arms around his neck.

Above the shallow water, the sky had cleared - the storm had passed, and now the clouds were rolling away. Stars sparkled, and the full, white moon glowed, shining like a pearl. Moonlight and starshine poured onto the Earth, casting liquid opal. It streamed down, slicing through the sea surface. It illuminated Melody and Finn, turning them both to pure silver.


	25. All is revealed

Melody lay on a softer part of the beach. There was no stone here - just soft, golden sand. She was snuggled up to Finn, her head on his chest, their tail fins intertwined as they slept. Her hand was held in one of his. Finn slept quietly; she swore that this was the deepest and most uninterrupted sleep she'd ever seen him in. The warmth of the sunrise poured across the island and ocean.

This morning was the most beautiful she'd seen. The sky was a liquid amber, tinged by gold and rose, while the sun spilled golden light. After the rainstorm last night, everything was soaked, but in the quartz of the morning light the water droplets made everything sparkle with lustrous brilliance. _Like the brilliance of Finn's sea-green eyes._

They had spent the night in a part where the sand rose to conceal a hollow, containing a clean body of perfectly shallow water. It was part safety, and part privacy - they could remain here, unseen and undisturbed. Now, as the sun warmed them, the pool felt like a warm bath to her. However, Melody wasn't entirely happy. Despite their kiss under the moonshine, and the night under the stars, Melody knew that her cousin, Bay and Atlantica were in grave danger. Nia had Zafrina, Bay, Triton and the trident in her possession - they had to form a plan of some kind.

Breathing in deeply, Melody sat up, brushing the sand off her hair. This movement stirred Finn, waking him up. He stretched in the shallow water, before also rising. Melody glanced toward him, her lips curling into a smile. He smiled back. "Hey." Finn said, warmly.

"Hi." Melody's smile widened, before they were both distracted by a raucous seagull call, above. They both looked up, seeing the white gull carving across the sky in a vast arc, continuing to cry out. There was a moment of quiet. "You know how much I'd love to stay here with you, just here. But we need to do something. Zafrina and Bay." The light-heartedness of the situation subdued, as they both realized how reckless they had been. They had wasted so much time, when instead, last night, they could have been forming a carefully structured plan.

"I know." Said Finn, with terrible guilt. The reminder of their friends slapped them both across the face. "Great Neptune, this is my fault. We need to get going."

"Going where?" Melody asked, expectantly, but Finn was stuck. Both of them were. They sat there, absolutely blank of ideas. "Oh, heavens. What do we do, Finn? There's absolutely no way we'll be able to get in there, and then get out physically intact, let alone with Zafrina and Bay."

"Well... we can't just assume that's the case. There must be someway into the cave palace..."

"Don't you know any way inside, other than the main entrance?" Asked Melody, hopefully. "I mean, didn't you say last night that you once lived in the palace with your mom?"

"Well, my aunt didn't exactly give me a thorough tour of her home. And besides, the caves aren't the original palace. The original palace, where I grew up, was abandoned. It's a right state now - loads of things crawling over it, empty." Finn's tone was sombre. "Who knows why she moved the palace to some caves." He paused. "...I thought I heard something about an army headed this way. Queen Attina of Delorea - your aunt - must have gotten wind of what's going on with Nia, because she's sent an army down, and they've allied with Atlantica. They're headed down here, to battle Nia's goons, and she's awaiting their arrival."

Melody quickly looked up. "That's it! We can go down there, and at least tell them what we know... if she's waiting for them, she'll be expecting them to rush in all together, to one place, right?"

"Yes." Finn nodded. "All battles take place in the Kraken's Bowl - it's a great big gap in the floor, surrounded by cliffs except for one empty space, where the opposing army appears, to confront her. But that's not necessary. She'll wait there with her army, waiting for them to appear from the entrance. Maybe if the Atlanticans and Deloreans attacked from above, or hid in the bowl before the army arrives... they'd get the element of surprise. We could even attack them before they reach the bowl - ambush them." Melody agreed with a nod - the idea was brilliant.

"Of course. We'll have the upper hand, if we tell them the best attack strategy. It's brilliant - but maybe we should have a look around, see if we can pick anything else up. I know, it's risky, but we'll have to be careful."

Finn was clearly reluctant to go back down there, but then, he hesitantly nodded. "Okay." He took her hand, and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. "Let's go. There's no way they know we're here - we'll be able to approach without them knowing where to look." They climbed out of the pool, sliding down the beach, before they entered the waves, hand in hand. Melody led Finn, but he kept slowing down, especially as they approached the edge of the sand drop-off.

"Hey." Melody turned. "It's going to be alright." Finn hesitated still, looking anxiously over the cliff. Melody turned his face toward her. "Just stay close to me, okay?" She leaned forward, kissing him. Finn melted a little, ceasing to resist, as she lead him over the drop-off side.

"You're irresistible." He commented.

 _Meanwhile_

"Can I at least get something to put on my wound?" Bay groaned, from where he was slumped against the cell bars. Not only was he starving, but his wound was getting worse already. It couldn't heal on it's own - it needed a little help. Everytime he twisted or turned, the wound would tear back open, after sealing into a scab. The colour was beginning to freak him out, too - he would have described it, but the white liquid seeping out of it alone was making his stomach turn. He felt hot - his forehead was increasingly warm, and if it weren't for the water surrounding him, his sweat would have darkened his hair and rolled down his skin.

"Use your imagination." Said a sarcastic voice, in the shadows. Bay jolted, twisting round. A muscular figure slumped there. Bay's stomach twisted at the sight of Otan's head. The blast from the trident had been fully powered - Zafrina had done it deliberately, after all Otan had done. Half of the scraggly blonde hair had been burned away, and one side of Otan's face was alternating shades of scarlet, white and cerise - the red and pink showed the terrible burns, and the white was the liquid seeping through the poor, broken skin. The burns' healing rate had been given a boost by Nia, but not enough. Some of the burns were wrinkled and scarred already - Bay thought his skin resembled that of the land fruit, avocado. There was no doubt that Otan was permanently disfigured for life.

"Jumping jellyfish, Otan." Bay muttered, appalled by the state of his face. "You look..."

"Not as awful as your mangled tail." Otan snorted. Bay raised his eyebrows. _Oh, I beg to differ._ He didn't voice this opinion. As bad as his tail looked, it was nothing compared to Otan's injuries. There was a long, dangerous silence. "I'm going to kill that girlfriend of yours." He vowed, and Bay's blood went cold.

"You wouldn't dare." He whispered.

"As soon as she's of no use to Nia, after this is over, I'm going to break the spell so she's aware of what's going on, that it's me killing her. I'll kill her slowly, so she pays for every scar she's given me, and when it's over, I'll bring the body here, to you. And then, when you see what I've done, I'll kill _you."_ Otan grinned with pleasure at the horrified look on Bay's face. His misery was lifted by torturing Bay this way.

"You can't!" Bay cried, in desperation, dragging himself up the bars so that he wasn't on the floor. Otan came up close, glaring at him with pure hatred. Bay tried to think of any excuse. "Well - well - how can you bring her out of the spell? There's no way to, is there?" His heart thudded with hope - was Otan's stupidity enough to spell it out? The spell's antidote?

"The only way to break it is to kill the one who casted it in the first place." Otan sneered. _So, killing Nia._ "But there is a better way. Recently, Nia divised some purple urchin spines, which she distributes onto everyone out there. They contain a serum that's part kracken ink. Nia altered the ink slightly to remove any spell casted by herself - the ink attacks and destroys Nia's magic. In that theory, if one was to be used on her, it could tamper with her abilities." Bay tried to look uninterested, to hide the fact that he was getting some incredible information. If a purple spine was to hit Nia, would it damage or even destroy her powers? Otan continued.

"She divisied it in the unlikely scenario where someone on our side was to accidentally get turned, or if the receiver needs to be brought out of it for some reason." Bay listened to this, and watched as Otan produced an urchin spine, like the ones that were green and red, except it was dipped in bright purple instead. Suddenly, Bay felt Otan's fist come into contact with his stomach, and he let go of the bars, falling onto his side. He clutched his stomach, gritting his teeth with pain. Otan laughed. "Pathetic. I can't believe Nia's keeping you alive."

"You're unbearably stupid." Grunted Bay, struggling to sit up. Otan turned away, and swam from the cell, muttering under his breath. Bay's heart raced, and he crawled over to Zafrina's bag, to try and do something about his tail. He sat next to the cell 'window' - a gap in the rock no larger than his head and shoulders, with stone bars a few inches wide. He gazed out with longing, desperate to see Finn or Melody. Where were they? If Melody was human, where could she be?

He began to wrap the bandages from Zafrina's bag around his tail, wincing at the soreness. Once he had tied it off, Bay went into the bag, finding his book. He flipped through it to the middle, his heart in two. Zafrina greeted him, her hair cascading around her face. He had drawn the picture a few days before their capture, while she had been asleep. Her eyelashes shadowed her cheekbones, and the other shadows had been captured so vividly by his pencil that Bay was sure they danced across the rest of her face and shoulders. He hadn't seen her since she had locked him up. Holding the book to his chest, Bay closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, Finn and Melody crept their way toward the great cave palace, a towering lump of grey rock, like an underwater volcano. The entrance yawned in the other side, and, naturally, that side was heavily guarded. However, nothing guarded the behind side, for there was nothing here except small, barred gaps of cell windows. Finn and Melody looked upwards, with fear. Could Bay and Zafrina be in there, imprisoned? Could they be looking down upon Finn and Melody, right now, trapped?

In the cell, something made Bay pause. He opened his eyes, and looked outside, scanning the rocky seabed. An unknown force turned his head in a certain direction, towards the part where the island rose. He scanned the rocks, feeling a presence. What was it? He looked closer to his prison, not expecting to see anything within the barren seabed. He blinked, thinking he saw a movement - a flash of red, a flash of dark blue. Bay blinked several times, wondering if he was hallucinating. _If I didn't known any better, I would have thought I saw Finn and Melody..._ For a moment, Bay was amused, thinking of how improbable that was. But then he blinked several more times. _I don't believe it. It's them!_

Bay couldn't believe they were there - it was so dangerous. Everyone was looking for them, especially Melody. His mind processed things faster, and time sped up. Bay ripped a blank page from his book, hastily scribbling down everything he knew with his pencil, in case they disappeared. Shoving the book and the message into Zafrina's bag, he tried to find a way to attract Melody and Finn's attention. But as he was stuffing everything back into her bag, something fell out. Bay caught his reflection on it. _Zafrina's mirror._ Suddenly, Bay had an idea. He reached outside, mirror in hand, tipping it toward the light coming down from the surface, and then tipping it downwards again.

Melody looked up at the rock, wondering if, by some miracle, there was a way in. But then, something caught her attention. Finn's talking faded out, as she blinked up at the palace. "Finn."

"What?" Finn glanced at her.

"Do you see that?" Melody pointed upwards. Up above, there was a small flashing, from a hole in the rock. Finn went quiet, also noticing this. They exchanged quizzical looks. In his cell, Bay was certain that they had noticed. Pushing the mirror into the bag, he twisted the top, tying it into a loose knot to seal it. Glancing over his shoulder, Bay pushed the package, with difficulty, through the bars.

Melody saw the object fall; at first, she couldn't tell what it was, but then she recognized the light purple fabric. "It's Zafrina's bag!" She exclaimed. Melody glanced about, ensuring that they weren't being watched, before racing across the seabed, to the base of the rock. She caught the bag before it hit the ground. Finn quickly appeared at her side, glancing upwards. Melody opened the bag, seeing a crumpled piece of paper. Looking at Finn, she unravelled the paper, and they both read the message. It was hastily written, smudged, but readable.

 _The missing Atlanticans were forced to endure a mind-controlling spell by Nia. That's why they act the way they do - she wipes their minds of free will, and they will only answer to her. She does it to have a bigger army, but she made an antidote with a kracken ink serum - it attacks and destroys her magic, so if it's used on her, for all I know it could damage her powers. She gives them to everyone in the form of purple urchin spines - inject them and the person will recover. Zafrina's trapped in the spell, and I don't know where she is but if Nia isn't defeated, Otan has vowed to kill her, and then me. I'm being kept in a cell, and Nia's going to do the same thing to me what she did to Zafrina, when my tail heals. I'm safe for the moment, so don't come for me. Find the army from Atlantica and Delorea - last I heard they had passed Pramheda - try and get some of the purple urchin spines, fix who you can. Form a plan, and hurry!_

Melody and Finn looked up, simultaneously. Horror pricked through them both - Bay was held? Zafrina, influenced by a _mind-controlling_ spell? "I don't believe it." Whispered Melody. "So _that's_ what Nia's been doing! It all fits!" Her heart sank. "Oh, Zafrina..." tears swarmed up into her eyes, and she began to shake. "Oh, this is terrible. We need to get going."

"Bay..." Finn hesitated, looking up at where the flashing had come from.

"You see what it says. They won't touch Bay, not until he can swim properly. That wound... it won't heal fast." Melody shivered. "Come on. We need to find that army." Finn hesitated once more, before looking up. He nodded, to show Bay that they understood. With great reluctance, Melody lead Finn away. Up in the cell, Bay watched his one link to the outside leave. Now, with no book to look through, he lay back, and waited.


	26. Familiar faces

Melody and Finn crept along the Broken Shells, retracing their swim. If it was true what Bay's message had said, that the army had passed Pramheda, that meant they couldn't be far past the border. Could they possibly reach them by nightfall, if they swam very quickly? As soon as they were past the border, they could swim fast. But they were keeping watch - keeping watch for Zafrina, Otan, Nia, or anyone for that matter.

"Finn?" Melody looked sideways at him.

"Yes, Mel?"

"What if... what if we run into her?"

"I... I don't know." Finn didn't know if she meant Zafrina or Nia, but being faced with either mermaid could be disastrous. Being faced with Nia was guaranteed death after what had happened the other night, while Zafrina, if ordered to, would attack them - she would be near impossible to apprehend. She was a physically strong mermaid, and she didn't need a metal weapon to fight - she wasn't afraid to use her teeth or nails to defend herself. But then, if she did have a weapon, that would be so much worse.

Suddenly, shadows passed across the sand around them. They leapt to the Broken Shells, looking up in fear, before they realized the shadows were too far overhead for them to be seen. Melody then realized that the shadows of three merpeople were on the surface, swimming around a roughly oval shape. The merfolk swam under and around it, and from far below, Melody could tell that they were purposefully knocking against it, and she heard laughter and mockery from one voice only. She stiffened, recognizing the sound of Ontari. What were they doing?

"What do you suppose...?" Melody saw some rock stacks nearby, going to the surface. She started towards it, curious. Finn frowned, but then, when he spotted the scene taking place on the surface, he tried to stop her.

"Melody, don't... what are you doing? Melody!" Ignoring Finn's protests, Melody used the rock stack as a cover, swimming straight upwards. Surfacing, Melody peered around the rock, while Finn emerged moments later. "Melody, we can't waste time! We have to -" Finn's mouth snapped shut, as he saw what was going on. Horror and disgust flowed through Melody as she witnessed the scene before her.

Humans crowded in a small boat - maybe they were shipwreck survivors, for their clothes were tattered and dirty. The humans, men and women, were crammed into the boat, crying out in terror as the three merfolk - all mermaids - taunted them, ramming against their precious raft, shoving and pulling it this way and that. Again, Melody noticed that the only one talking or taunting was Ontari, and it was only when she told the other two to join in that the other voices were heard. Melody's heart twisted with fear, as she realized that the other two mermaids had tell-tale mechanical movements - they moved too fast for her to see their glassy eyes.

One man stood bravely at the edge of the boat side, one of the oars in hand - he waved it threateningly at Ontari, who nimbly swam out of its reach. "Too slow, human!" She gloated, with heavy mockery. Her eyes snapped to a mermaid, who was on the other side of the boat, out of Melody's sight. "You! Do what we discussed!" The mermaid, who had a dark pink tail, seized the oar from the other side of the boat, tossing it away. The male human with the remaining oar looked frantically between the mermaids.

"Please, we're begging you all! Leave us alone, we have no quarrel with your people!" The man protested, eyes flickering from the merpeople to his human companions, who clung to one another in fear. Suddenly, Ontari shouted an order at the other mermaid. The mermaid, who moved too fast for Melody to see her face, seized the oar in his hand, yanking hard. The man went flying into the water with a screech, and a woman on the boat screamed.

"William!" She shrieked, as the mermaid who had pulled the man overboard suddenly disappeared with him under the surface at Ontari's order. Melody gasped, diving under the waves, to see the man several metres below. He thrashed against the mermaid, yelling through the water around him. His legs kicked frantically as he tried to push the mermaid away - she simply fought back, delivering a punch to his nose while dragging him further downwards.

Occasionally, she would reach behind her, where too weapon handles were seen, but her prisoner fought, stopping her from drawing her weapons. Now, the man's eyes were going pink and beginning to bulge, just like Melody's when she had almost drowned a few days ago. Unwilling to let him suffer from the same near-fate, Melody surged downwards, crashing into the mermaid who was dragging him further down. As the mermaid recoiled, Finn acted, grabbing the drowning man and pulling him toward the surface.

Melody suddenly heard a hiss of metal. She turned back toward the mermaid, not expecting to recognize her - but then her heart plunged into ice. It was Zafrina, a long scmitar in each hand for she had drawn them free from their sheaths, which were formed in a cross-shape on her back. Her mint-green tail lashed as she powered through the water, eyes blank and unrecognizing, the metal blades slashing wildly. She didn't have a clue who Melody was. Horror burned through Melody, as she realized that Bay's message was true. A tiny part of her had clung to the hope that Bay had been mistaken, but now the proof was right in front of her. Suddenly, she was brought back into reality by the sound of metal slashing through the water.

"Zafrina!" Melody protested, diving to the side to avoid the blade sweeps - one caught her upper arm, but she barely felt the pain. Zafrina launched toward Melody, smacking into her. She shoved her brutally against the rock stack, arm across her neck. Melody tried to push her away, but eighteen years of swimming in strong currents meant that Zafrina was far stronger than Melody. Zafrina then raised one scmitar, driving it toward Melody's head, but she dodged it by an inch. The blade stuck into the rock, close to her ear, trapped in a crack. With Zafrina distracted, Melody managed to slip out of her grasp. While Zafrina was pulling it free, Melody rushed forward, snatching the other scmitar from Zafrina's free hand. Finally, Zafrina pulled the jammed weapon free, and whirled around to face her cousin. She advanced, her remaining weapon glistening from the light from the surface. "What has she done to you?" Melody whispered. This wasn't Zafrina.

Without a wordless shout, Zafrina rose her remaining scmitar above her head, bringing it down, but Melody swung her blade upwards so that it was horizontal over her head, blocking Zafrina's strike. The blades sqeauled upon contact, making Melody wince, and even in her unresponsive state Zafrina's body naturally reacted with a flinch.

Meanwhile, on the surface, Finn shoved the frantic human upwards, and the humans on board dragged him to safety. Hearing the commotion, Ontari appeared from the other side. She stared at hin in shock and disbelief, before her eyes exploded into flame. "You!" Ontari declared, furiously. Her eyes blazed with complete rage. "How many times must I try to kill you?"

Ontari drew an arrow, but then a boat oar came flying through the air, smacking her in the face, for a human had swung the oar toward the hostile mermaid. Something white fell; Finn was sure she had lost a tooth. Ontari covered her face, shrieking, as blood appeared through her fingers. He took the opportunity to steal her bag of urchin spines, for Bay had encouraged them to acquire some purple ones. The third mermaid disappeared under the surface with Ontari, leaving the boat and Finn on the surface.

"Get going, all of you!" He urged, to the humans in the boat. He tried scanning the horizon for ships, but failed to see any. He recalled seeing his first human village - it wasn't the one near Atlantica, but there was a busy human coastal settlement in the west from Nia's kingdom. "There is some mainland west of here. If you keep going you should hit it in a few hours, if you don't find a ship before that." He scooped up the other oar from the water, hastily returning it to the other side of the boat, from where it had been flung away.

"Bless you, sir!" Cried a young woman, and the other humans began to cheer their gratitude. With a quick smile, having no time for anything more, Finn dived back under the surface.

Down below, he was greeted by the sight of Melody and Zafrina fighting with a scmitar each - Melody was using it to block Zafrina, who was swinging it toward her with fill intention to hurt or kill. With a surge of shock, he realized that Zafrina had been one of the merfolk attacking the humans - he'd noticed that one had been armed with two scmitars, but he hadn't realized that it was her. Melody was still blocking Zafrina's strikes with one said scmitar, but Zafrina was quickly getting the upper hand. Finn watched in shock, but then Ontari cried out.

"Serenity! Deal with them!" She declared, in a muffled voice, for her hand covered her bleeding mouth. "Zafrina! Come with me, I'm not going back on my own! We need reinforcements." Immediately, Zafrina stopped slashing her scmitar at Melody, turning and following Ontari, leaving Melody visibly gobsmacked. Within moments, Ontari and Zafrina were gone.

"Melody, are you okay?" Finn raced toward her, but then he saw Melody looking at something behind him - they hadn't been left alone.

Finn whirled round, to see a mermaid perhaps in her mid thirties. He was dismayed to see that she too was under the influence of Nia's spell. Her pale blue eyes were glassy, like Zafrina's, and she looked very unkept - she had likely been under the spell longer than Zafrina. Her ginger hair was knotted and dirty. Serenity advanced, a spear trailing from one hand.

Serenity looked vaguely familiar to Melody, for she was sure she had seen the mermaid joining in with the celebrations after the disintegration of the castle sea wall five years before. _Serenity. This is another missing Atlantican - of course! Andrina said Serenity had kept her back, while grandfather was captured._

"Listen to us, Serenity..." Melody tried to get through to Serenity, but she didn't acknowledge her words. Proving irony with her name, Serenity sprang forward, waving the spear with violence, straight at Melody. Finn leapt, knocking into Serenity's side - the spear went twirling down, spinning toward the seafloor. He desperately tried to apprehend her, but the older mermaid was strong. Melody quickly lunged forwards, trying to help him.

"Melody! Go into the urchin spine bag I got off Ontari, find a purple one!" Finn struggled to complete the sentence, for Serenity was fighting free. Melody saw the bag on his knifebelt, and she hastily opened it - a sea of red and green spines filled it, and in her rush, she didn't see any purple ones. She then saw a pocket sewn into the bag, marked 'P' - 'p' for purple. But the fiddly pocket seal was hard to open. "Melody!" Shouted Finn, moments from losing his grasp. Melody realized that by the time she got the pocket open, Serenity would be free.

"It'll have to be green!" Melody seized a green urchin spine, before she jammed it into Serenity's arm. Serenity gasped, and went stiff briefly - then, just like how Ontari had in Pramheda, her eyes closed, as unconsciousness consumed her. Finn's grip loosened, as Serenity slumped in his grasp. Melody and Finn exchanged bewildered glances, shocked by the past few minutes - but there was no time for rest.

"Let's get out of here." Melody said, looking in the direction where Ontari had fled. "Ontari... and Zafrina... were getting reinforcements."

"You're right. Quick, the border's down there." With Serenity between them, they swam downwards, seeing the fearsome wall of seathorns. With a brief moment of hesitation, for they were leaving their two imprisoned friends behind, they passed over the wall and dived into the seaweed.

For the first time in days, Melody's skin stopped crawling, for she was so relieved to be out of the kingdom. Serenity lay before them, the urchin spine now black for the green substance had been absorbed into her blood. "She should be out for a few hours." Finn said, from where he was trying to catch his breath. "We should wait until we find the army, before we give her a purple spine. Then they can see what we're dealing with - until then we'll just have to keep topping her up with green spines." He then spotted the wound on Melody's upper arm. "Woah... did Zafrina do that?"

"Oh... it's nothing." Melody tried to insist, covering it with her hand.

"No, no, let me see." Finn shuffled close to her, taking her upper arm with hands so gentle it was as though she were made of glass. He examined the scratch. "It's shallow. It doesn't need anything on it - it'll heal quickly." There was a brief moment of silence. His eyes flooded with worry. "Are you okay? Seeing Zafrina that way..."

"It wasn't her." Melody said, quickly. "Not... not really. Oh, I don't know what I'm going to say to her mom, if she's with the army. Or her dad, if he's there too..."

"We'll think of something." Finn tried to add some optimism. "We'll cross that crevice when we come to it." He pressed his lips to her temple, and Melody leaned against him for a moment, before they returned to their dilemma with Serenity. "Come on. We need to make sure that she can't get away, if she wakes." Together, they - albeit reluctantly - bound Serenity with seaweed, so that she couldn't fight them should she wake. They weren't sure what would happen when Serenity woke, but since Ontari's last order had been for Serenity to fight, it was possible that Serenity would continue this when she awakened.

They then tied two pieces of seaweed on each side by each of Serenity's shoulders, so that each piece of seaweed formed a giant handle of sorts. They could carry Serenity between them, the handles on their shoulders, leaving their hands free. Melody carried Zafrina's purple bag along with the urchin spines, as well as the scmitar which she had retained after fighting Zafrina. Glancing back at the seathorn wall, the pair began to make their way back the way they came.


	27. Reunion

Melody and Finn had been swimming for at least a day. Every two hours, Serenity would begin to stir, meaning they had to inject another green urchin spine to keep her unconscious. As she woke every two hours, sleeping for the night had been an uncomfortable job. They had alternated sleeping - for two hours, one of them would sleep while the other watched Serenity. It hadn't been a pleasant night, struggling to stay awake for two whole hours each time, especially when the whole swim had included hiding from Nia's patrols and being on the lookout for sharks, as well as carrying a thirty-something year old mermaid between them. The task was made even more difficult by the fact that the army was hard to find.

"I guess we underestimated the difficulty of this job." Finn muttered, as they struggled to pull Serenity through some scraggly sea plants. The seaweed bonds snagged on everything.

"You said it." Melody replied, lifting her heavy fringe and pushing it back. This was so frustrating - the unclaimed land between Pramheda and Nia's land was still huge, with crevices and seaweed fields everywhere. The army could be anywhere, hiding from Nia's patrols. They'd tried to eavesdrop on said patrols to hear any news, but all they'd heard was that the army had somehow been lost. This was good for them, but not so good for Finn, Melody and their unconscious companion. They'd even tried listening in on the nomadic merpeople, the travellers who drifted from place to place, but there was no talk of the army of Atlanticans and Deloreans. "We have to find them soon - we've only got enough green spines for six more hours." It was true. Only three green urchin spines remained in the bag.

"Make that four more hours." Finn said, his voice tight. Melody realized that Serenity was muttering once again, twitching as her consciousness fought to the surface. They'd observed that Serenity would stir for around twenty minutes before gaining full consciousness - they had that long to inject another spine.

"Oh, good." Melody reached in the bag, finding one of the three green urchin spines. However, as she was about to stick it into the mermaid's arm, she paused. Something lay on the ground, a few feet away. Her heart lurched. "Finn... look!" Finn followed her pointing hand. He blinked.

"What is that?" He asked. Melody rushed over, scooping up the object. It was a simple kingdom emblem on a black string, making a bracelet. The emblem was from Attina's kingdom of Delorea, shown by the unique shape and symbol. Many Delorean soldiers were issued with one.

"That's the Delorea kingdom emblem." As Melody scanned the seabed, she noticed that it had been disturbed. The sand was marked by lines, as though spears or swords had been dragged through it or placed upon it. Shallow hollows indicated that bodies had been upon the sand - perhaps merpeople sitting for a rest. "They were here." She said, excitedly. They noticed the disturbances on the sand extended. "Hang on."

Melody let go of her seaweed handle, swimming upwards. As she looked across the sand below, she saw how the marks expanded for many metres. It couldn't have been anything else, because more evidence scattered the seabed - a scrap of gold fabric that matched the colour of fabric bags carried by soldiers. Melody even found a packet of sea daisies, a popular plant frequently eaten within Atlantica and the nearby Delorea. There was no chance they grew in this area.

"How long ago do you think this all was?" Asked Finn, looking around, trying to see any sign of where the army went.

"It must be quite recent - it wouldn't take an hour for the currents to sweep all the disturbances in the sand away." The currents were strong here - the sand was constantly shifting. Melody then saw something glistening on the sand - she scooped it up. It was a purple and mint-green shell on a thin piece of rope, forming a necklace. She blinked, thinking that she had seen it somewhere before.

Then, there was a sound close by - a shadow slid across the sand, from behind a rock stack. "Quick!" Finn whispered. He and Melody shoved Serenity into some seaweed, before they dived down into a steep sand hollow. They peered over the edge, watching the merperson emerge from hiding. She seemed young, with a lilac tail, with golden brown skin similar in shade but yet a little darker than Zafrina's. She didn't look like one of Nia's, but she seemed too young to be a traveller - and travellers usually went in groups. Her eyes were focused and clear - she hasn't fallen victim to Nia's magic. They were blue, unusual for her dark complexion. Melody blinked - she knee this mermaid. _It's not... it's not..._ "She kinda looks like..." Finn began.

"Zafrina." Melody finished. "I don't believe it. That's her sister, Zaidee!" She blinked several times, making sure that it was. Indeed it was true. The third daughter of Alana and Adonis, the third of the 'Four Zs,' was swimming across the sand. Zaidee was sixteen, surely too young be be part of the army... what was she doing here?

"Zaidee!" Shouted a voice, making Finn and Melody jump. A mermaid in her early thirties suddenly appeared from the rock. Alana's violet eyes were dark with stress and fatigue. "What are you doing here, wandering away from the group? It's too dangerous!" Melody glanced at Finn.

"That's my aunt, Alana!" She whispered.

"I'm sorry, mom." Zaidee turned back, her tail fins twitching. "I lost my necklace..." Melody looked down at the lilac and green shell in her hand. That was where she had seen it before - this was Zaidee's necklace. The four daughters of Alana had individual necklaces with these special shells from their father's southern kingdom - Zafrina's spiky blue and gold shell necklace, which was in her bag, was from Adonis's kingdom. Alana sighed, and shook her head.

"Oh, Zaidee... why did you have to stow away with us? Why didn't you stay with Zoe and Zelda?" Melody listened to this with awe - Zaidee had crept away, without her sisters? As reckless a decision this was, she couldn't help but admire the teenager's bravery.

"I miss Zafrina." Zaidee muttered, miserably. "I've said it several times..." Alana's eyes closed, and she covered her face.

"I know, sweetheart. I miss her as well." Alana rubbed her eyes, before hugging Zaidee. "I'm sorry, but it's too dangerous for us to be out here alone. We need to head back to the group. When this is over we'll go and see your father. He's heading home now, and you know he always brings you all shells whenever he's down there. We'll make you another necklace." She then firmly turned her daughter around, steering her away. Zaidee looked back, reluctant to leave her necklace, before admitting defeat.

"I still can't believe you haven't told dad what's happened." Zaidee muttered.

"You know it takes several weeks for us to travel down there, or send a letter. And they don't have communication shells in his native kingdom." Alana reminded her. "Come on, let's head back." Alana and Zaidee then disappeared behind the rock stack, back the way they came. Melody looked swiftly at Finn.

"Come on! We'll follow them." Hastily, they picked up Serenity, who was moving more and more frequently. With her towed between them once again, Melody and Finn raced around the rock stack, spotting Alana and Zaidee's purple and lilac tails ahead.

"We'll have to approach slowly." Finn said. When Melody looked at him in confusion, he looked uncomfortable. "They think I had you at knifepoint, remember? We'll have to ensure they don't leap to conclusions."

"Holy Neptune, you're right." Melody quickly realized that the army would see Finn and assume the worst - he had a knifebelt and tattooed upper arms, with tattoos being highly associated with Nia's soldiers. "Alright. I'll appear first, see their reaction. And then, you'll join me - hopefully they'll believe me when I say you're on our side. Sound good?" Finn considered this, hesitating, before nodding.

"I just hope they do believe you." Finn acknowledged, with discomfort.

They followed Alana and Zaidee across the seabed, keeping their distance, aware that Serenity wasn't far from coming to. Alana and Zaidee swam rapidly, making it difficult for Melody and Finn to keep up, due to their heavy 'baggage' - swimming fast and carrying Serenity, especially in her flimsy seaweed bounds. It wasn't a good combination, and the scmitar Melody had obtained from Zafrina kept slipping down. It was tied to her waist via seaweed, but it would frequently loosen, meaning she had to slow down and tighten the seaweed again.

Melody hurried along, trying to figure out their approach. What was she going to say? How on earth could she approach with Finn, and even if the army members didn't rush to 'apprehend' him, how would they explain the events of the last week or two? Brainwashed merpeople from various kingdoms, the fact that the trident was currently in Nia's possession, thanks to their attempt to stop that very event? _How will I tell Alana and Zaidee about Zafrina?_

"They're slowing down!" Finn exclaimed. Melody jolted out of her dilemma, realizing that she could hear voices up ahead. Alana and Zaidee disappeared around the corner, which was a wall of rock that ended abruptly. They were in a large underwater gorge, now, the voices numerous and loud. Melody and Finn peered around the corner, hearts rapid.

The gorge widened into an enormous bowl - Atlanticans she recognized clustered within it, with a large stretch of sand between Melody and Finn, and the army. Some merfolk she didn't recognize were mixed in - the merpeople Attina had sent. The army members were spread around, sitting on rocks or the sand, weapons and belongings lying at their sides. Melody watched Alana and Zaidee head toward the left, where several merpeople were gathered around a large, table-like rock. Suddenly, she realized that she knew some of them. Attina, Aquata and a few Delorean merpeople, and on the rock slab, Sebastian was scuttling about, his claws snapping in the water above him as he talked, pointing to things on the rock. They were planning, without a doubt.

"Alright. Let's get this over with." Melody glanced nervously at Finn. "I'll drag Serenity out, so they don't see you dragging her. They might jump to a conclusion." Finn handed her his part of the seaweed handle, before ensuring that he was fully concealed.

"Good luck." He whispered. Melody nodded, nervous, before shaking her head. _Let's do this._

Melody swam out, dragging Serenity. She floated there in the water, a few metres from Finn's hiding spot. She looked steadily into the army, waiting for them to notice her. Eventually, one mermaid saw her - she gasped, shoving the merman next to her. More and more noticed the intruder, muttering in unease, rising, weapons in hand. Melody raised both hands, waiting for someone to recognize her.

The merfolk gathered around the rock slab, hearing the muttering, looked up. Alarm filled their faces, but then Zaidee narrowed her eyes. Then her blue eyes lit up with recognition. "Hey - it's Melody!" She exclaimed, in a mixture of shock and delight. The army members, after realizing this fact, immediately dropped their weapons. Zaidee, Sebastian, Attina, Aquata, and Alana all abandoned the rock slab, beginning to rush through the crowd, but Melody stopped them in their tracks.

"Wait! There's something I have to show you!" She shouted. They slowed, and the crowd murmured in confusion, especially when they noticed the unconscious mermaid lying behind her. Aquata gasped, for Serenity was a friend of hers, but she didn't move. Melody dropped her hands. "It's not just Serenity. I have someone with me - and you can't judge him because of what you've heard about him." She looked hard at her aunts and Sebastian.

Melody glanced toward the rock wall, before motioning to Finn. Finn paused, before shaking his head. Slowly, he swam into view. Gasps emerged from her aunts, Zaidee, and especially Sebastian, for he had seen Finn before. "What is going on here?" Cried Sebastian. Merfolk who recognized Finn reached for their weapons - maybe they'd heard a description from Sebastian, from that misunderstanding, or seen him in battle. Melody freed the scmitar, and casted herself across Finn, the scmitar extended to prove her point, to show how she was willing to protect him.

"Nobody lays a finger on him. He's on our side." She put the weapon back in the seaweed holder. "He's my friend." Whispers of disbelief and discontent spread, until every word was audible to Melody and Finn. Finn flinched as he heard scathing accusations and insults, but then Melody moved to his side. She extended her hand toward him, and Finn's fingers intertwined with hers. The crowd suddenly fell quiet. Her aunts, Zaidee and Sebastian especially were deathly quiet as they watched this union between the two - Finn, the merman from a feared kingdom, and Melody, the human-born mermaid from the shore up above. With Serenity's seaweed handle in Finn's free hand, Melody and Finn swam forward with joined hands, heads held high. Melody boldly met the astonished gazes, daring them to challenge Finn's presence.

She moved through the crowd, who drew back to let them pass. Finn looked around nervously, fearing the sceptical looks, but he didn't let go of her hand. Several murmurs spread through the crowd, as Melody and Finn headed toward Attina, Aquata, and Alana, who stared at them. Sebastian's claws snapped rapidly with anxiety, while Zaidee looked on with fear. However, both she and Alana were looking around anxiously, searching for Zafrina. Melody felt sick as she and Finn stopped before them. _What am I going to tell them?_


	28. Serenity

Finn sat on a rock, arms crossed, trying to look less annoyed than he really was. The red crab Sebastian was pacing up and down a rock shelf close to his head, his legs clicking irritatingly loud on the stone. Finn was sure Sebastian was pacing this close on purpose. "Can you stop pacing?" He asked, trying to sound polite.

"No." Said Sebastian, sourly. Finn rolled his eyes, and got up, moving to the other side of the room. This was extremely uncomfortable - hardly anyone had looked at him since he and Melody had been ushered into this cave, and suspicion and distrust hung in the atmosphere like a swarm of jellyfish.

Sebastian finally stopped pacing, swimming to the rock slab in the middle of the cave, where Melody was explaining the situation. Meanwhile, Finn listened outside, where the plans were being run-through by the other merfolk in charge. The plan was a good one - they didn't need Finn or Melody to plan their attack. He listened to the King of Delorea, Attina's husband.

"There is a slim chance of our army getting in unnoticed, for the land outside Nia's stone palace is barren - there is not enough cover for us all. Nia will be expecting us to confront her in that great hollow, so we will instead ambush her stone palace by charging over the border at full speed..." Finn listened, critical.

 _By the time they charge all the way from the border to her palace, they'll surely be exhausted from swimming so fast - it's a wide stretch of seabed between the border and the stone palace. Nia'll see them all coming and they'll lose the element of surprise... if they got closer before charging, they'd have enough fighting energy..._

Finn wondered if it would be better for the army to travel within one of the few crevices that went into Nia's kingdom. The one he had in mind was seperate from Neptune's Scar, smaller, running close by the stone palace - there was still some distance between there and the crevice but it would only take less than a minute of full-speed swimming to reach it. _I'll mention it if they let me get within five feet of them._ It was as if he released some sort of poison everytime he moved near to someone - they wouldn't allow him to get close, no matter how clear his relationship with Melody was. What would it take to convince them that he had no love for his kingdom? _Thank goodness Melody didn't mention my relation to Nia. They'd probably kill me on the spot._

Of course the events of their endeavour had been a lot to explain - how the idea of retrieving the trident had come about and the details of their journey, of course avoiding the dangerous near-death encounters. For the sake of Alana and Zaidee especially, she hadn't mentioned Zafrina being strangled, nor Melody's forced transformation so far from the surface. She had told them how the trident was now in Nia's possession, and used Bay's note to explain the situation with the brainwashed merfolk. This news had naturally recieved a horrified reaction, but even more so when she had told them what had happened to Zafrina. Since this, Alana had been deathly quiet, no matter how much Melody had tried to assure her that no harm would come to Zafrina as long as she was of value to Nia. And Zafrina was valuable, no doubt, with her skills; Melody hadn't mentioned how Zafrina had almost killed her with a scmitar.

Melody had been asked dozens of questions, and now Aquata was writing it all down. Melody kept glancing Finn's way, with annoyance - he gave her a mischievous smile, trying to lift the mood. "Have you got everything?" She asked, trying to keep her patience.

"Yes. So he saved your life from two sharks, you wanted to get the trident, Zafrina broke Bailey -"

"You mean Bay." Melody corrected, tiredly. "Yes, Bay was broken out of prison, and Nia stole the trident, taking Zafrina and Bay when she did. Now, he's being held in Nia's stone palace, with a mauled tail." There were several quizzical looks, and Melody looked his way, looking for help.

"While we were in Neptune's Scar, the sea serpent that lives in it attacked us." Finn said, from where he sat. He rose, swimming across the room. "The serpent almost got Zafrina, but Bay attacked it to protect her. It sank it's teeth into his tail instead..." he ran a hand through his dark brown hair, his heart twisting painfully as he remembered seeing Bay in agony on the floor, bleeding with his tail scoured by ragged teeth marks. "...he nearly died."

"Great Neptune, is that true?" Attina's eyes widened, before she turned to Melody for confirmation - Melody nodded. "The poor boy, I can't believe he... Bay _saved_ Zafrina?" She looked at Alana, with hope. Alana glanced up at the mention of Zafrina, eyes filled with desperation for more news on her eldest.

"Yes." Melody said, edging past Aquata, to be near Finn. "He and Zafrina have gotten rather... close." Alana blinked. "Last time I saw him he couldn't even swim, so it's not going to heal fast. He's safe from Nia's magic for now, but for all we know he's not receiving medical treatment... would she heal him?"

"Nia? I doubt she'd waste supplies or her magic. Oh, we all know what she's like with traitors!" Sebastian cried, claws up in the water. The atmosphere went tense. Melody and Finn looked at each other.

"We need to get Bay as well as Zafrina out..." Finn continued. "He's like me. And when I had no-one, I had Bay." Melody gave his hand a comforting squeeze, before Finn shook his head, continuing. "The note he sent us says that Nia's planning to do the same thing to him what she did to Zafrina. He'll become like her - no free will, just a mindless assassin." He then looked guiltily at Alana, who's head sank into her palms. "Sorry, Alana. But... he sent Zafrina's bag with the note, too. His sketch book's in there, and her possessions. We also found Zaidee's necklace." He looked at Melody. Removing the urchin spine pouch, Melody gave the purple bag to Alana. Alana held the bag, the shoulder strap held tight in her hands. She found Zafrina's necklace, and pressed her lips to the blue and gold shell, before putting it back.

"I'm... I'm going to give Zaidee her necklace, tell her what's going on. Thank you, Melody. And you, as well." Alana nodded at Finn, before leaving the room, Zaidee's green and purple shell necklace tightly in hand. Attina and Aquata exchanged concerned looks, before shaking their heads.

Sebastian was reading the note himself. He looked up with worry, the note in one claw. "Your note mentions the spell antidote here. You wouldn't have any on you?"

"We have several purple urchin spines - I think there's about twelve." Finn said, hoping that the suspicious crab would start trusting him. He paused, about to ask why Sebastian had asked the question. But then he stiffened, a realization dawning upon him. _Serenity._ "How long have we been talking here?"

"About fifteen minutes." Attina said. "Why?"

"Hey!" Alana came racing, thoughts of Zafrina held back by what was happening outside. Her eyes were wild with panic, with Zaidee close behind. "It's Serenity! She's woken up!"

"She's going crazy!" Zaidee exclaimed, before the mother and daughter rushed away.

"Oh, no!" Cried Melody, with a jolt. "The green serum wore off!" In the rush, Serenity had slipped their - and everyone's - minds. She shoved past Sebastian, sending the crab flying, and Finn rushed to follow. Outside, they heard grunts and shouts, demanding what was going on, as well as Serenity's battle cries. Melody fumbled in the bag, finding a purple urchin spine.

Outside the cave, they had left the unconscious Serenity lying on the sand, but now, as they emerged from the cave, her seaweed bonds lay in tatters on the seabed. Her blank eyes darted around as she waved a spear threateningly, the last command from Ontari still imprinted into her mind. Without a leader to give new orders, she was confused and wild, stabbing wildly with the spear which she had probably stolen from one of her surrounding merfolk. Merpeople crowded around her, in a wide circle, as they looked on in confusion and despair, not knowing why she was behaving in such a way.

"What's happening?" Shouted Attina, from behind, and merfolk parted to allow the queen of Delorea through. However, Serenity, seeing this, made a break for the part in the crowd, straight toward Attina, spear in hand - King Clay, her husband, cried out her name.

"Attina!" He shouted, in horror. Attina saw Serenity headed straight at her, and she froze up in fear. Finn was nearest - without thinking, he launched himself between the two mermaids, seeing the spear extended toward Attina. Serenity and Finn went crashing in a dark pink and navy blue blur, and she hissed, scratching madly with her nails as the spear fell to the seabed. Attina rushed backwards into Clay's arms, eyes enormous as she realized what could have happened if Finn had not attacked Serenity. Finn struggled to hold onto Serenity, begging for aid from those around him. Finally, merfolk raced to help, seizing Serenity's arms and tail. She fought back, but she was overpowered in seconds, held fast. But still, she struggled hard.

Melody pushed through, a purple urchin spine in hand. "Move it!" She said, but others tried to block her path, not understanding.

"Let her through!" Attina shouted, recovering from the shock of nearly being attacked with a spear. Finally, Melody was allowed through to Serenity. The older mermaid writhed and struggled, but she was unable to fight against all her restrainers. Melody looked for a place to inject the urchin spine - her limbs and tail were under a sea of hands and arms. She then settled on Serenity's side, a place that was unheld. With a brief moment of hesitation, Melody jammed the purple spine into the mermaid's waist.

Serenity abruptly stopped moving - she flopped in the merpeople's grasps, her eyes shut. Behind her eyelids, however, her eyes were darting around, as Melody could see. The merfolk drifted down, dropping Serenity and backing away - Melody crouched by Serenity, heart thudding, praying that Bay hadn't made a mistake writing the note. What if the purple urchin spines were a poison instead? Serenity was starting to convulse, her dark pink tail thrashing, her mouth parted in a soundless cry. Under her skin, the purple serum had spread to her brain, attacking the disease that was Nia's poisonous magic. For a few moments, she continued to convulse - then, suddenly, Serenity lay still. The crowd gasped; someone whispered, "Is she dead?" Melody's heart leapt into her mouth briefly, as she thought it were true, but then someone pointed. Serenity was still breathing.

Aquata waited a few feet away, chewing her nails as she waited for something to happen to her friend. Suddenly, there was a muttering from Serenity - her hands began to twitch, and her fins lifted slightly. The crowd was silent, moving closer to see what would happen next. Finn crouched protectively at Melody's side, in case the urchin spine serum hadn't worked. But he needn't have.

Serenity rolled onto her side, before her fumbling hands found the sand, and she pushed herself up slowly. Propped on her hands, the ginger-haired mermaid opened her eyes, looking around in a daze. But her pale blue eyes weren't glassy or blank. They were full of real colour once more, vibrant and flooded with genuine emotions - confusion, wonder, fear. She blinked at her surroundings.

"Serenity?" Aquata approached her cautiously, before the mermaid glanced up, with dazed eyes. Her mouth moved, and no sound came out for a few moments - but then, finally, for the first time in months, real words made themselves heard.

"My friend." Serenity asked, cautiously. The crowd held it's breath. "This... this isn't one of Nia's hallucinations? Is it? I..." She looked around, at her friends in the crowd, who were now coming forward. "I was swimming, but then she appeared, made them hold me still. She touched my temple, and then it was like sea snakes were in my brain..." She closed her eyes. "After that I knew what I was doing, but I couldn't stop myself. As if... the free will was gone." Serenity blinked rapidly, before looking back at Aquata. "I'm so... so..." Serenity began, in a trembling voice flooded with guilt and horror as she recalled what Nia had ordered her to do for so long - flashes of metal and blood filled her mind.

"Neptune, no!" Aquata cried, pulling her friend from the seafloor and embracing her. "We don't care - that wasn't you. Just... welcome back!" Serenity looked cautious for a few seconds, but then she seemed convinced that this was real. Emotion filled her eyes, as she hugged Aquata back. The crowd began to rejoice, cheering and applauding. Serenity looked over her shoulder, at Finn and Melody, pure gratitude shining in her exhausted eyes.

"Thank you." She whispered, before those who knew her moved in, cheering and welcoming Serenity back to the world of the real living. Melody glanced up at Finn, relieved, before she placed a hand upon his. _One down... another few dozen to go._


	29. Downhill

"What do you mean, I'm not going?" Melody stared, entirely stunned, at Attina. "I have to go! If Finn's going, I will too!"

This morning, Finn had explained to Attina, Clay and Aquata, the joint leaders of the army, that they could get closer to the stone palace before their charge via a small crevice. Now, however, it had been decided that he would lead them there - although they denied it, Melody knew that it was so that he wouldn't be able to get away and warn Nia. He had saved Attina's life from the raging Serenity; how else could he prove his loyalty? And now, to make matters worse, Melody was under constant supervision and not allowed to leave with them. She was seventeen, and being treated like a helpless child.

"I'm sorry, Melody." Attina said, sternly, glancing at Aquata in unease and slight guilt. "But we promised Ariel that we'd keep you out of danger." Zaidee had told Melody last night what they had told Ariel - Melody had been missing for over a week, they had to tell her. She and Eric had been devastated by the news that Melody had gone on a 'wild goose chase' in search of the trident, and while Ariel had pleaded to be turned back into a mermaid to aid the search, the missing trident and imprisoned Triton rendered this impossible. So, with this, she had instead insisted that Melody be fiercely protected once found, and brought home as soon as possible.

"You're lucky we're not sending you home right now, young lady!" Sebastian scuttled across a nearby boulder. "Be thankful that you're out of the danger!"

"But Zafrina, Bay! What about them?" Melody demanded. "I'm seventeen! I'm not a kid anymore, I'll be fine. You can't just keep me here!"

"Yes we can!" Aquata snapped, losing patience. "You're staying here with the healers, Sebastian, Zaidee and I, where we can keep an eye on you. We're not breaking the promise to your mother because you've got a death wish. Do you know what could happen if Nia got her hands on your bracelet?" _Only full well._

"I don't care." Melody said, bitterly. "I -"

"You're not going, and that's final." Attina said, firmly. "And nothing you say will change our minds." Melody gaped at Attina, Aquata and Sebastian, speechless. Then her nails dug into her hands, and she whipped round, fleeing the cave. On her way out, she barged into someone.

"Melody? What's going -" Zaidee began, but Melody didn't let her finish. She raced away, and behind her, she heard her name being called, and someone grumble "I'll go get Finn". She didn't stop - she swam directly upwards, for the surface once more, headed for a rock that breached the ocean ceiling. Once she surfaced, Melody angrily hoisted herself onto it, where she sat there in the cool night air, trying to collect herself.

Melody felt so betrayed - after all the dangers she had been through, her aunts weren't letting her take part. She didn't want to fight - someone had to retrieve the trident, and free Zafrina, Bay and Triton. How could she let Finn lead the army through that crevice on his own, with nobody who trusted him by his side? How could she wait here, praying that all three of her friends made it back in one piece? So what if Nia wanted to kill her? She'd rather know that her friends were safe rather than secure her own safety.

Hot tears sprung to her eyes, as she remembered that nobody trusted Finn. That frustrated her even more. It took her a few minutes to realize that he was talking to her. "Melody? Are you okay? Your aunts told me you'd be here." Melody looked his way, to see Finn looking concerned, his arms propped on the rock. She wiped her eyes, patting the rock beside her.

"Please join me." She requested, and Finn pulled himself up to sit. _I bet someone's watching us from below._

"What's wrong?" He asked, and Melody ran a hand through her hair.

"They... they're not letting me go with you. You'll be out there on your own." She closed her eyes, shaking her head. "They're treating me like some kid. I'm sick of it - all I want to do is help. I don't want to fight - freeing Zafrina, Bay and my grandfather is the main reason why I want to go. And they're making me stay here." Melody tried to find repose. "They don't trust you. The only reason why they're making you lead them there is because they don't want you running off to reveal our secrets to Nia."

"Melody, I..." Finn was clearly stunned - betrayal and hurt filled his eyes as he realized that Melody was right. "Oh, for Neptune's sake." He closed his eyes for a few moments.

"I just... I just want them to see you as I do." Melody said, miserably. Finn, in an attempt to distract himself, had gathered her hair to the side, and he was making a soft braid.

"Listen. Maybe if I spend time with them without you, they'll realize that I'm not acting. I mean... at least you'll be safe, right?" Finn reasoned, but Melody wasn't convinced. "Look. I'll be alright - I'll find and free them for you. Nobody will be in the palace - I'll be careful."

"But... I can't let you go on your own. What if Nia... or Otan..." Melody stiffened. "What if you die, Finn?"

"Nothing's going to happen to me." Finn said, firmly. He dropped her hair, and she reached up to feel the braid. "I'll come back to you - I promise." He turned her face toward his, and he gently drew her head toward him so that their foreheads touched. Melody wanted to believe that he would make it back. _But I can't._

 _Later_

 _Bay was trapped in a shark's stomach. At least he thought he was - it was like a nightmarish version of one. He was surrounded by fleshy, slimy walls, and white teeth bristled them, with serrated edges like a shark tooth. It was like being in a cage made of flesh. All around him, he heard shouts and screams, but he couldn't see anybody, for he was surrounded by the impenetrable, slimy walls._

 _But he could hear tortured screams, of Finn and Melody, while Nia and Otan laughed. The most piercing of all was Zafrina's - she was screaming like a dying seabird, in pure agony and terror. She, Finn and Melody were shrieking his name, pleading for help, but no matter how hard Bay tore at his flesh-and-tooth prison, his tail burned with a scalding infection, and he could barely swim without searing pain._

 _Suddenly, all noises cut off, and the walls vanished. Then, his three friends were lying, motionless, in the gloomy water. Melody was blue from drowning, her bracelet twisted and smashed on the rock seabed, and her human legs lay across the stone. Finn lay a few feet away, his dead eyes set on Melody, blood trickling from his gaping mouth._

 _Then, he saw how Zafrina lay motionless, her eyes closed. Her hair had been slashed off to a short mess, and her blood made a red cloud. Bay watched in horror, his blood roaring, heart pounding. He crumpled, blindly dragging himself to her, for Zafrina was nearest. Desperately, he went to find a heartbeat, but then his heart jolted. Her hand flew up and seized his arm in an iron grasp before he could. Her nails cut into his wrist as she stared at him with petrified golden eyes._

 _"You could have saved us." She gasped, choking on her blood as did. Bay had gone white and pale, and his skin was icy from her touch. His blood was cold as he heard her whisper, his heart tearing apart at the betrayal in her eyes. "You broke your promise."_

Bay sat bolt upright, his skin cold from a sweat that he could feel despite the water around him. He shook violently, from a mixture of the raging infection in his tail and from the horror of his nightmare. Trembling, Bay tried and failed to slow his racing heart. The nightmare had been so real, so terrifying, he had to check his wrist to see if there were any cuts from Zafrina's nails. He hadn't seen her in two days - for all he knew she could be dead. _But if she was dead, wouldn't Otan be here to gloat?_ His heart slowed a little, but the memory and his infection meant that it was still fast. _My infection... I haven't seen what I'm dealing with._

Shuffling back, Bay looked down at his tail, knowing that the wound was infected despite not being able to see it. The bandage was hot to touch, and his stomach lurched at the thought of what terrible infection lurked beneath. He reached toward it slowly, hesitating. _I'll have to look at it sooner or later..._ he paused once more, before peeling the bandage away - at first, it wouldn't come loose for the wound's discharge had seeped deep into the bandages, but then, he pulled it free with clenched teeth.

He covered his mouth with his hand to stop the cry of horror. The ragged tooth marks, each two inches in width but each almost a foot in length, over an area of the same said size. Each scour was plagued with vile white and sickly green and brown. The edges were a dark red, failing to form a complete scab. Heat radiated from the surface, burning like the rest of his skin. There was no doubt it would scar, if it healed at all. No wonder it was infected - who knew what rotting matter the serpent had been sinking it's teeth into? He fell backwards against the wall, his teeth gritted as he felt his fever burning on. He covered his forehead with a hand, from the near-unbearable heat and the peril of his situation.

 _If I don't get out of here soon, the infection will kill me before any of Nia's goons will._


	30. Back into Nia's kingdom

"It's almost nightfall. We must go now, to get the maximum element of surprise - many of them will be tired and not expecting it." King Clay plucked up his sword. "Attina... are you sure you want to come with us? It's going to be dangerous."

"I'm well-trained, Clay. And I'll stay by your side the entire time." Attina said, slinging the arrows over her back. Meanwhile, Melody watched the army prepare to leave, sitting casually beside Zaidee. She leaned back, her face serene and her whole appearance calm and collected, as if she wasn't planning something in her mind.

"...Alana, I don't think you should go." Aquata's voice sounded behind them. Melody looked over her shoulder. Aquata was holding her sister's hands, whispering urgently. "I know you want to find Zafrina, but... I think you need to stay here, with Zaidee."

"My eldest is out there, under the influence of some seawitch's spell..." Alana began, but Aquata interrupted.

"Please, Ally." Whispered Aquata. "You have a younger daughter here who needs you. And you're not a fighter like Attina is - you don't stand a chance, I'm sorry. Stay here with me, Sebastian and the others - we need someone to watch over... you know who, as well." Melody rolled her eyes. _Me, obviously._ "Their priority is getting those under the spell's influence out, and Zafrina will be first on their list. Please - stay." Then Aquata whispered, even less audible. "You need to stay alive for your other daughters."

While Alana struggled to reach a decision, Melody watched as the army of Atlanticans and Deloreans gathered. Then, Melody spotted Finn, with his knife belt at his waist. His eyes were flooded with fear as he approached her - then he sped up. Melody rose, swimming over to meet him, and she was surprised when he threw his arms around her, holding her tight. "I'm scared, Melody." He whispered in her ear, the vulnerability in his voice incredibly clear.

"I know." Melody replied, her heart twisting with pain as she felt his fear; he trembled in her arms.. "Look, just... be calm. Be safe at any cost, and just...find Zafrina and Bay, and get out of there." Melody looked around, considering telling him that she planned on going with him, but then thought better of it. _He might tell them what I'm planning to protect me. I need to keep this to myself._

"Finn! It's time." Clay called, and Finn twisted his head around. Aquata and Alana were talking in low voices with Attina, for Alana had finally chosen to stay behind - they were biding their farewell to their eldest sister. Finn looked back at Melody in panic.

"I don't want to do this." He whispered. "But... it's the right thing to do." He let go, preparing to leave, before Melody pulled him back for a last hug.

"Promise me you'll be safe." She pleaded. Finn took her hand, holding it tight.

"Always." He promised, before kissing her. It lasted for longer than Melody expected, and it was meaningful and passionate. After a long moment, she pulled away.

"Don't kiss me like it's the last time." Melody said. "You'll see me soon - sooner than you know it." She said it as if it was because they'd see each other after battle, when in reality it was because of her plan; Finn didn't clock this, but behind them, Zaidee blinked at Melody, with a frown. Once more, Finn was called. He looked at her for a long moment, before he let go of her hand, and turned away, swimming reluctantly towards the waiting army.

"I'll be darned." Zaidee said, behind her. Melody then realized that her younger cousin had witnessed the whole thing, and she looked around. "You really do love each other, don't you?" Melody nodded slowly, but Zaidee was still thinking about how Finn would 'see her soon. Was there more to that statement? Melody had been acting unusually calm...

Melody turned back around, watching as the army split to let Finn through. He looked back at her, but then the crowd closed, screening him from her view. After a few minutes, Clay and Attina moved to the head of the army, and Melody caught a glimpse of Finn's dark brown hair beside them. Clay and Attina held hands, before they raised them, with a battle cry. "We're going to liberate our people from the threat of Nia!" Attina declared, courageously. "Remember, the merfolk you recognize, the ones with glassy eyes, are not our enemies. They are under Nia's magic, so you must not harm them unless they give you no choice." Attina looked at Clay, to allow him to finish.

"Finn will lead us through a crevice to get closer to the stone palace, and then, we will ambush them. Our priorities are freeing those who are under Nia's spell, freeing Triton and retrieving the trident, as well as ending the threat of Nia once and for all!" The army roared and cheered, weapons and fists punching the air, before they began to depart.

Aquata and the rest of the merfolk who had remained behind were waving and wishing them luck. Alana had her hand on Zaidee's shoulder, anxiously chewing her nails, while Sebastian hovered annoyingly close to Melody. Once the army had disappeared around some rocks, the crowd dissipated. Most merfolk who had stayed behind were sitting in small groups, holding hands, murmuring quietly, and praying for the safe return of their loved ones.

Melody continued to sit on the rock next to Zaidee, trying to figure out an escape plan. Could it be as simple as saying she was going for a swim? But then, as she felt eyes on her, she was made aware of the fact that she was being supervised. Aquata was sitting on a rock with Serenity, eyes flickering from Melody to her friend, while Sebastian especially was keeping an eagle eye. The crab was trying to disguise this by studying a map, but Melody saw his eyes on her.

Alana went over to join the conversation between Aquata and Serenity. "Serenity, I hate to ask... but when Nia casted her spell..." Alana was asking for some peace of mind regarding Zafrina. Melody glanced around, aware that she needed to find a way out before the army got too far. Then, she felt someone else watching her. She looked up, but then Zaidee cleared her throat, and her tail fins brushed Melody's. She glanced her way.

Zaidee's blue eyes flickered from Melody to the cave where they had slept last night. Pink seaweed fell from the cave entrance, and it had been pulled aside to leave an opening. The sixteen-year-old tipped her head toward it, ever so slightly. Melody looked into it, before she narrowed her eyes. Was that a dim glimmer of light near the back? Suddenly, Zaidee got up, in a brisk and lively manner. "Mom? Melody just said she had a headache, and I'm a bit tired myself. We're going into the cave for a nap, okay?" Alana, along with Aquata and Sebastian, looked up. Sebastian looked suspicious, but Aquata and Alana didn't.

"It's alright, Sebastian - Zaidee'll be there." Alana whispered, before speaking up. "Go on, girls."

"Thank you!" Zaidee said, with a beaming smile. "Come on, Melody. It'll be darker - that'll be easier on your headache." She looked meaningfully at Melody, silently asking for a convincing act. Out of puzzlement, Melody decided to play along.

"Oh... yes." Melody raised her hand, to massage her left temple. She faked a painful smile. "Easier on the eyes." Confused, she followed Zaidee into the cave, where Zaidee pulled the pink seaweed down to cover the entrance. She turned to her cousin, puzzled. "What's going on, Zaidee? I haven't got a headache -"

"You can drop this act. I know you're planning on going with the army." Zaidee crossed her arms, and Melody stiffened. "I heard you tell Finn how he'd see you soon - I could see that there was more to that statement." Melody had been found out. She shouldn't be surprised - Zaidee was more of a detective than a princess. She knew the subtle signs that told her a plan was being made, when a lie was told. She looked down in guilt, feeling Zaidee's gaze bore into her. "You would be prepared to sneak away on this dangerous task, against Ariel's and everyone's wishes? Prepared to risk your life to free your friends, my sister, our grandfather?"

"Yes." Melody admitted, preparing for a lecture.

"Good." Zaidee said. Melody's head snapped up in surprise.

"Wait - you'll help me?" She asked, in astonishment. Zaidee had a grin plastered all over her face.

"Of course I will!" Zaidee exclaimed, swimming swiftly toward the back of the cave, with Melody hastily following. "Someone's got to help find my sister, as well as free your Bay buddy. Finn can't do it on his own, can he?"

"Why would you help him? Help us?" Melody asked.

"Because this is _love_ , Mel-Mel. You're in this together." Zaidee led Melody around the corner, and then Melody saw a glimmer of light on the top of the last wall - a hole in the cave back. Zaidee was pushing and pulling stones, widening the gap so that Melody could go through. "I'd go with you, but someone has to cover for you."

"You'd do that?"

"Obviously! I'll stall them as long as I can. Now, you need something to defend yourself with..." Zaidee went to her temporary bed, plucking up a simple bow and pack of arrows. "Are you any good at archery?"

"I'm not as good as Attina or..." Melody stopped herself from saying 'Ontari'. "Dad let me practice with one last year. It didn't end well." She remembered the arrow missing the target and flying inches past Grimsby's nose.

"Hmm. You arrived with this sort of thing, didn't you?" Zaidee then rose a silver, curved sword. "Scmitar alright for you?"

"That'll have to do." Melody said, knowing she was short on time. Zaidee shoved the weapon through the gap, along with a trail of pink seaweed from the cave entrance to carry it, before turning to her.

"You should go now. If you lose the army, all you have to do is travel west along the seathorn wall, and you'll hit the crevice. Just be careful."

"You have no idea how much I appreciate this, Zaidee." Melody said, gratefully. She swam upwards, but then she turned back, racing down to hug Zaidee. "I love you, Zay. Thank you so much. I'll find Zafrina and our grandfather, I promise." With a last smile, Melody turned, and wriggled out of the gap. Scooping up the scmitar, she tied the pink seaweed around her waist, before using the seaweed ends to attach the weapon handle to it. Zaidee waved from the gap, before retreating back into the cave, filling the hole with stones again. Then, Melody, keeping low in the sand slopes, raced in the direction the army had gone.

What if she had lost them? She knew how to get there, but what if she entered the wrong crevice? There was no way she was going to cross over Nia's territory without the cover of a crevice - Melody was on the top of Nia's kill list. But just as she was worrying, she spotted movement in the distance. Relief washed over her as she saw a few Atlanticans and Deloreans, at the back of the army. Keeping low, Melody began to follow, swimming fast to get closer.

The army travelled like her - low, swimming behind rocks and into dips in the sand, travelling west of the seathorn wall which bristled in the near distance. As she followed, Melody was made aware of the sand turning to pebbles and rock, and a line lay ahead on the seabed; that had to be the crevice. As she looked along, she saw how it ended the seathorn wall. The army was slowing down, gathering at the edge. Melody concealed herself behind a boulder, where she peered around the stone, being careful to stay out of sight. She held onto the scmitar at her waist, ensuring that it didn't hit the boulder and make a noise. Clay and Attina were speaking to the army, talking about their approach and again stating how the glassy-eyed merfolk weren't to be harmed. She saw them turn expectantly to Finn, talking directly to him.

Finn nodded eventually, but from where Melody hid she noticed how his hands shook slightly. He didn't want to go in at all, especially not without someone he trusted. He was looking longingly in the distance, desperate to go back. She dove back behind the boulder when his gaze moved toward her hiding place. After a few moments, Melody peered back round, where the merpeople were now swimming down into the crevice. She waited for the last one to disappear before entering it herself.

The crevice was shallow, only a few metres deep and shorter wide. It seemed more 'open' than Neptune's Scar, less dark with plenty of light - there were less places for anything sinister to hide. Melody felt much safer down here, as she followed the army from a distance - she was around twenty metres behind the last merfolk. However, the feeling of safety sank when she saw the seathorns casting a shadow. She was now in Nia's patch.

Again, Melody's skin crawled with unease and fear as she swam along, keeping her distance from the back of the travelling merpeople. They had to be halfway through their trek before Melody stopped, hearing something above her. "-where's Nia, then?" She looked up, and her heart stopped when she realized that two merpeople were swimming over her, unaware of who was beneath. She shrank into the shadow of the crevice side, heart thundering in her chest. The shadows of the two merpeople casted across the rock, telling her that they were right on the edge of the crevice.

"She's on patrol." Replied a merman's voice. "Yeah, some of our guys and the weirdos under her magic are on sentry duty outside the palace, because she's worried they'll ambush us at night."

"Like who?" Asked the other, a mermaid.

"The Alex dude from Atlantica -" Melody stiffened. "-Narcissus, Ontari, that bunch really. Otan's not - he's probably taunting Bay again." Melody stiffened once more. "If you ask me, all this taunting is dead immature. Otan keeps saying his tail's mangled and stuff, but Otan's head is just... vulgar. The scarring's gross, after what that Zafrina girl did to him. I can't believe Nia left the trident in her potion room, just lying around, waiting for anyone to grab it..." Melody blinked. Nia didn't have the trident on her? _That's good... we won't have to wrestle it from her._ "I feel sorry for Bay, you know."

"You know, I wonder if Otan" Melody hid still, with frustration, listening to the conversation. _Why aren't they leaving? Swim on already!_ But they didn't. The two merfolk continued to talk above her head, about nonsense.

"Otan's head is hideous now..." Laughed the merman. "Looks like a dead -"

"Just keep swimming." Muttered Melody with anger under her breath, willing them to swim on. "Just keep swimming, swimming..." but then something twirled down before her eyes.

"Oh, jellyfish! I dropped my bag." The mermaid grumbled. Melody stiffened, expecting the mermaid to swim down. If she swam down, Melody would undoubtedly be found. "-I'll get it in a minute. Costil, you don't need anymore purple urchin spines do you? There's, like, twenty in there." Melody froze. Urchin spines? Her eyes drifted down to the dropped bag. Some of it's contents had spilled, including a pouch of urchin spines. If she was going to free Zafrina of the spell, she'd need purple urchin spines. She glanced upwards, where, somewhere out of her vision, the two merpeople were chatting.

"-No, I don't. Honestly, Nia's too generous with them. She gives out way too many! They could fall into the wrong hands so easily..."

"Too right they could." Melody whispered to herself, moving downwards slowly. so not to alert them of her sudden movements. She reached down, but then the shadow that casted moved. Her hand snapped back, and she shrunk back against the wall as the mermaid came to retrieve her bag. By some miracle, the mermaid didn't turn around to see Melody hiding there.

"Exactly, it's ridiculous." The mermaid agreed, before swimming back up. Melody watched the shadows, seeing the mermaid drop the bag onto the floor. She crouched there; where else was she going to get an opportunity like this? She'd have to steal some urchin spines at some point. As Melody looked up, she noticed how close the bag was to the edge. It was open, the urchin spine pouch poking out. She peered over the crevice side, and saw the two merpeople with their backs to her, their tail fins barely two feet from her face. The merman was pointing to something in the distance, talking about fish shoals. Surely, she could seize the chance...

Slowly, Melody reached toward the bag of urchin spines, knowing this could be her one opportunity. Her hand closed on the pouch, and she began to retract her hands, one hand on the pouch, and the other pulling a green spine out as she did, just in case one of them were to turn around. But they continued to chat, unaware of the theft going on two feet behind them. Relieved, Melody sank low out of sight.

Melody tied the pouch to her seaweed belt, before edging away, aware that the army was far ahead. She glanced upwards once more, before slinking along the shadow line, waiting until she was out of earshot before racing through the crevice. The atmosphere trembled with fear and trepidation, crackling like a thunderstorm about to break. As night fell, the sea became dark.

Meanwhile, on the surface, real thunder rumbled ominously, as dark clouds stole the night. The winds began to pick up, howling like a pack of wolves, and the waves grew - any ship caught out in the treacherous weather to come would be surely doomed. The moon was engulfed by darkness as a black cloak cloaked the world above the sea.


	31. The seige begins

Finn swam through the crevice, his blood growing colder the closer he got to the stone palace. His heart pounded with unease and an unspeakable terror as he contemplated facing his tyrant aunt again.

Several visions ran through his mind; himself, Melody, Zafrina and Bay lying dead on the floor, while Otan laughed overhead with a disgustingly mutilated face, and Nia gloating over Melody, who had human legs instead of a tail. The vision of his dead mother, Merissa, while his six-year-old self cried over her, and Nia plucking up the crown. _This nightmare isn't going to end..._

The palace loomed in the distance, a black lump in the gloom. Shadows seemed dark and more sinister, as if every one hid something. Eels glided through the water, in a sneaky manner, as if they were waiting for the conflict to start, while fish seemed scarce, as if they were aware of the oncoming danger. The ocean surface was tossing and rippling violently, and the surface would occasionally, briefly light up - a thunderstorm raged above. It only added to the sense of tension.

The army was absolutely silent as they followed him, weapons at the ready. Finn was shocked that they hadn't somehow been spotted yet - a hundred merpeople swimming through the land, surely something had been given away. _Unless we're being secretly followed, and they're just waiting to surprise us... they seem to know every secret. They stalked me and my friends on our trip and we didn't even know it._

Finn willed the palace to move further away, so that the journey would be longer, but it loomed closer by the second. There were mere minutes to go before they were close enough to launch their attack, and Finn had no idea how he was going to free Bay or Zafrina. How could he even get into the palace, and free Bay unnoticed? How on earth could he free Zafrina of her spell in the midst of a battle? The task was simply impossible. Nia or Otan could be anywhere.

All too soon, the palace was closest. This part would be ideal to charge; and Clay and Attina seemed to know this. "This is very close..." Clay began.

"Yes, this is the place." Finn said, pausing to peer over the crevice opening. Attina and Clay turned back, sending the message, and it passed throughout the army. An Atlantican merman elbowed his companion, indicating toward a figure in the distance. Finn followed the pointing, and recognized the merboy as being the Atlantican Melody and Zafrina called Alex.

He was on sentry duty, eerily still with a spear in hand, while Nia's merfolk paced along. Other Atlanticans recognized one of the spell sufferers, shifting uneasily. The Delorean members of the crowd were also whispering, pointing to another sufferer - a mermaid with long brown hair was beside Alex, also stiff and having the tell-tale glassy eyes. She must have come from Delorea, for the Deloreans were murmuring as they watched her.

"If you are too injured to fight, retreat to this crevice and head back. Try and get their urchin spine pouches." Attina said, interrupting the observations. "Do not use the red ones - they kill. Use green to knock someone out, and use the purple ones for those under Nia's spell. We are not here to mortally wound - we're not savages. But we must make an exception for Nia. If you see her... do what you must to end this war." That translated into killing upon sight. The army lined up in the crevice, waiting for the signal. Attina and Clay were holding hands, gripping tightly. Finn hesitated to swim, questioning his chance of survival. Time slowed, and all Finn heard was his racing heart. Then, the silence broke.

"Now!" Clay declared.

The army swarmed upwards, charging over the seabed, with battle cries and roars, weapons brandishing. The sentries looked in the direction of the commotion - at first, they were frozen stiff in pure surprise and shock, but then reality crashed upon them. A loud noise erupted from a creamy conch shell, which was being blown repeatedly; Finn knew this as the emergency call, to summon Nia and her army.

The sentries turned and fled, hopelessly outnumbered. In their rush, they forgot to summon Alex and the Delorean mermaid. They remained there, still as stone, not acting whatsoever despite the hundred-odd merpeople headed straight at them. When the army passed, two merfolk seized them both by the arms. In their frozen state, with no order to guide them, Alex and the mermaid didn't react or protest. "Get them back to the crevice!" Clay ordered. "Until we have some urchin spines, hide them in there." The merfolk obeyed, shoving Alex and the mermaid down into the shadows of the crevice. When they left, the two soldiers didn't notice that one of their own had remained behind.

Finn ignored the presence of Alex and the Delorean mermaid. He had not joined the charge, frozen by fear instead. He watched in horror as patrols returned, as soldiers swarmed out of the stone palace upon hearing the conch shell. A small group clashed with the invaders, and at first, they were outnumbered and easily beaten. But then more of Nia's people joined in, and the small group grew more and more. As the first minutes passed, the two armies were evened out, although more of the enemy were arriving by the minute.

Finn looked on, unable to move, his mind fixated on the thought of dying. He watched the battle with terror - arrows flew, and metal slashed through the water, and already he saw wounds. A few small shark spectators weaved between some nearby rocks, hoping that the dead would be left behind so that they might feed when the battle ended. He felt a flash of hot anger, both at the presence of the sharks and at his own stupidity.

 _I don't know how I ever thought I could do this! I'm going to die here..._ he buried his hands in his hair, sinking to the floor of the crevice, trapped. "Think..." he muttered to himself, but he felt hopelessness infesting every corner of his brain. _I'm doomed._ He looked angrily at the motionless Alex and Delorean mermaid, who stared at the wall. "Stare at the wall while I'm living the last hour of my life." He muttered, about to break down. Just as he thought he might start to burst into tears, he heard a distant panting, growing closer. He stiffened, and leapt to the shadows, hand on his knifebelt. A shadow came speeding around the corner, long hair flowing behind her, and the dim glint of a long scmitar. In the darkness he couldn't see who it was. Was it Nia?

Then, the figure emerged from the shadows, slowing down - it was the last person he'd expect. Instead of Otan or Nia or anyone else who despised him, it was the opposite. "Melody?" He asked, incredulously.

Melody jolted, whipping around, hand at the scmitar handle at her waist. The weapon and an urchin spine pouch were tied to her waist via bright pink seaweed. When she saw that it was him, her hand moved to her heart in her relief. "Oh, Finn... thank goodness it's you!" Then her eyes found Alex and the Delorean mermaid, and she was distracted. "She's under the spell too? Alright." Immediately, she opened the pouch at her waist, producing two purple urchin spines. She stuck one each into the pair's arms, and immediately, their eyes closed as the serum sped along their bloodstreams. Finn continued to stare, a thousand questions in his mind.

"Melody!" Finn exclaimed, and she glanced up. "What... what are you doing here?" He had never been so shocked to see someone in his life; he kept blinking to make sure that he wasn't hallucinating.

"I couldn't let you do this on your own, could I?" Melody abandoned the two merfolk, coming to him.

"How did you even get here?" He stared at her still. "And how did... how did you get urchin spines?"

"First question, I had a little help from Zaidee." Melody replied. "And I got held up back there - two merpeople were over my head, but I stole the urchin spines from under their noses." Her eyebrows rose as she saw the look on his face, which hadn't changed. "Listen, someone has to help you. You can't be expected to rescue both Zafrina and Bay. You can't do it on your own."

"But it's so dangerous!" Finn protested. "If something happens to you, I don't know what... oh Melody, you shouldn't have come here." Melody's eyes flashed, and she opened her mouth to protest. "But then..." His face softened. "I'm glad you're here."

"And there's the answer I wanted." A smile formed on Melody's face, and her fingers intertwined with his, but then the moment was interrupted.

"Wha... what happened?" Asked an unsteady voice. Finn and Melody looked around, at the sound of the Delorean mermaid. She was looking around in a daze, confused and fearful. "I was swimming one day and this old mermaid came out of nowhere and..." She massaged her temples, her hazel eyes clearing after some moments. "I missed you, clarity... where were you?"

"Melody?" Asked the bewildered merman, Alex. He struggled to sit up, his dark blonde hair sticking in every direction, green eyes confused. He gaped at her in astonishment, eyes on her tail. "You're... you're a mermaid! How..." Alex had gone missing before her initial transformation. The Delorean at his side blinked at him in confusion.

"Nice spot, genius." She muttered, not having a clue as to why why Melody wouldn't otherwise be a mermaid. Personality had returned after being locked out for some time.

"Look, there's no time to explain." Melody said, quickly. "You're in Nia's land. But don't worry, everyone's busy with the battle... you'll be safe here."

"I have questions..." Alex began, in confusion, but Finn interrupted.

"Just hide in this crevice until the battle's over, okay? If someone's injured, they'll come back here and maybe they'll tell you both what's going on." Finn retook Melody's hand. "We've got to go. Just hide in here." They then hurried along the crevice, leaving a bewildered Alex and the Delorean blinking at each other.

"Wasn't that one of Nia's guys?" Alex said. "Isn't that -" The Delorean mermaid rolled her eyes, before leaning against the wall, eyes closed. Her arms folded and she curled herself in, intending to sleep.

"Why are you complaining? I'm just glad I have my mind back."

 _Meanwhile_

Bay shuddered in his cell, too distracted by his fever to notice the battle outside his cell window. Heat plaged him like a seige of sea slugs, and his mind was everywhere. He kept seeing things - a baby sea serpent kept swimming over his head, but when it turned to him, it had Otan's mutilated face. It was either his fever or the weird climbing seaplant that grew in his cell, the only means of nourishment he could find. He had been starving here for days, and each day his rib bones were more and more visible. The berries off the plant had tasted strange but it was all he could find.

Heat radiated off his festering tail, and his wound felt like a corrosive sea snake venom. It was driving Bay crazy, and he'd contemplated trying to end it all with a large rock that lay discarded outside his cell, but thoughts of his friends were the only thing keeping him sane.

Outside his cell, in the stone palace, there was shouting. Otan's yells rang off the walls, as he ordered everyone he encountered to go outside and fight, while demanding where Nia was. Bay wondered this too, his mind beginning to clarify. The baby sea serpent swimming over his head was starting to fade as the effects of the weird seaplant wore off. He clung onto his skull, trembling with the agonizing heat. All he wanted was to see Zafrina, or Finn, or Melody. He buried his hands into his now-dirty blonde hair, praying for his misery to end.

Some distance away, Nia had heard the conch shell. The queen was coming to battle.


	32. Looming rock

Melody and Finn crouched behind a boulder, peering over the top. The battle raged on, and Melody's heart hadn't raced this fast since when she had scaled the ice tower to reach Morgana. "How are we going to get in?" Melody fretted. "You're sure there's no other way in, asides from that entrance?"

"There is another entrance around the back... but it's dangerous." Finn shuddered. "It's a really unsteady place. The tunnel's falling apart - there's stalactites and it's supported by driftwood. No, it's too risky. We need to use the main entrance."

"Are you sure that's the best idea? I mean... look at it!" The main entrance was glaringly obvious, a massive hole in the face of the rock palace. The battlefield was in the middle of the land between the palace and their hiding place. Melody's nails dug into her palms. "There's no way we'll get into the palace without being seen, are you sure that entrance is the best one? I mean, _she_ could be waiting for us in the entrance. Or, someone'll see us swimming up the rock face and they'll attack."

"Well... that's a risk we'll have to take. The back exit is just..." Finn's voice trailed away.

"Finn, I think a few rocks are less dangerous than Nia." Melody's stomach lurched at the idea of facing the fierce queen, of facing Finn's aunt.

"But... but..." Finn tried to find an excuse, but didn't find one. "I suppose -"

"-knock out the back entrance!" Melody and Finn ducked as a group of newcomers swam past their boulder. Their blood boiled when they saw that Ontari was leading them, and she was ordering the others about. "Nia's on her way - she gave the order via communication shell. She wants it blocked to stop any of Clay and Attina's fiends getting in where we can't see them!" Ontari then whipped around, barging through the group. "Get out of my way! Where's Otan?"

Finn glanced at Melody. Looking incredibly annoyed, Melody crossed her arms. "Main entrance it is."

They darted across the seabed, picking their way around the battle by using rises in the sand, seaweed stretches and boulders as cover. But it soon became clear that this wouldn't work for long. More and more merfolk were arriving - the battlefield was expanding, and it was more difficult to hide with the seabed ahead of them was worryingly sparse.

Finn and Melody crouched behind a boulder that was hardly big enough to hide them. "We're in such trouble." Finn hissed, his hands knotting into his hair. A Delorean merman was tackling an enemy mermaid just a few feet from their hiding place, and behind them, the main inferno raged. While they tried to figure out a plan, their eyes turned to the battle. Melody gripped Finn's hand with white knuckles, her face white as she watched the horrors. Even Finn, in his life of fighting, had never seen anything so terrible.

The clang of metal upon metal was continuous. It had no end; hardly a second passed without another sword or dagger striking another. Spears and arrows sailed through the air, and merpeople who had lost their weapons were fighting with their bare hands. None of Nia's people had the time to pull the fatal red urchin spines from their pouches, for the Atlanticans and Deloreans didn't allow it, stealing the pouches or attacking before they could retrieve a spine. But their weapons were lethal.

Melody watched, with ice running through her veins, as merpeople on both sides cried out in pain as blood was shed. She watched an Atlantican mermaid fall to the seabed, her hand over her left arm unable to conceal the gash from a flying arrow. A Delorean merman - King Clay, to her horror - had his hands pressed on one side, as blood clouded through his fingers. He crumpled, face twisted in pain, as a mermaid with glassy eyes raised her weapon, which resembled an axe. Melody's mouth parted to scream, but then a Delorean came flying out of nowhere, a purple urchin spine in hand.

The mermaid fell to the seabed, the axe drifting down beside her, motionless as the serum spread. The Delorean pulled her arm over his shoulders, before an Atlantican mermaid helped the king. As Clay and the mermaid were carried away, Melody realized that she hadn't seen Attina. Her heart sank. Where was her mother's sister?

"-all I can think of is swimming as fast as we can. Once we're at the rock base we can use the shadows as cover." Finn whispered, trying not to look into the battle. He was sickened by the sound alone. Melody looked at him, her lower lip caught under her teeth, as she tried to think of an alternative, but there wasn't one. She pulled herself together, pushing back her fringe.

"Alright. Let's get it over with." Melody prepared to swim for her life; with one hand holding Finn's and the other the scmitar at her waist, she waited for him to make the first move. Then, her tail fins began to move as Finn launched out of their hiding place.

They tore across the sand, tails a red and navy blur, as they propelled toward the rock palace. Melody's blood thundered in her ears, and her skin was crawling with the feeling of vulnerability as they swam in full-blown sight along the edge of the battlefield. To their shock - and relief - nobody came to confront them. But the feeling of relief didn't last for long.

A mermaid and two mermen tore away from the edge of the inferno, and for a moment, Melody thought that they had been spotted. But then she realized they were chasing an older mermaid. Melody gasped. "Look! Attina!" She cried, in horror. It was true. Delorea's queen was fleeing her pursuers, the left side of her forehead marked by a long scratch. A thin trail of blood was trickling down her face. Melody raced after her aunt, and it took Finn a few moments to realize that Melody wasn't at his side. He whipped around, seeing her chasing the four merfolk.

"Wait, Melody!" He rushed after her, a few metres behind. Ahead, Melody watched Attina dive over a sudden drop-off in the sand; the rock palace towered above, but she barely noticed, her only thought for Attina. The other merpeople disappeared after her, and then Melody heard the sounds of struggle.

"What are you - unhand me!" Attina was shouting. Melody looked over the drop edge, to see Attina writhing on the sand several metres below. She was pinned down with a spear, held by a merboy Melody didn't recognize, while the other two had their weapons turned toward the queen. Attina's bow and arrows lay on the floor, several metres away.

"Sorry, your _majesty_." The other merman, Narcissus, sneered. To Melody's horror, he had a red urchin spine in hand. "Nia did want you to join the line-up of her stone statues - guess we'll have to tell her we didn't have any green urchin spines to knock you out." Attina struggled violently, trying to free herself, as Narcissus raised the red spine. She froze, seeing the urchin spine that killed.

"No!" Melody screeched, launching herself down, as Finn caught up with her. The three merpeople looked up, spotting the two newcomers. Attina stared at Melody and Finn in pure shock, speechless, as she saw them. She then shoved at the spear, before rising from the seafloor. She began to race away, but then the butt of the spear came into contact with the back of her head. Attina fell, where she lay on the floor, stunned, as the unknown merboy pointed the spear tip toward her, with uncertainty. Meanwhile, Narcissus and the mermaid rushed toward Melody and Finn.

An arrow flew past Melody's head, and her heart sank when she realized she knew the mermaid. Ontari was making a beeline for her. "She's mine! Get him!" Ontari leapt at Melody, and they sailed through the water before sprawling across the sand. Finn cried out as Narcissus collided with him.

"How many times must we try to kill you?" Ontari hissed in Melody's face, pinning her down. The arrows lay forgotten, as Ontari dragged Melody up from the sand. Melody didn't have time to stop Ontari's actions; the bow fell down her vision, before it fastened under her neck. Melody released a strangled cry as the bow pressed painfully on her throat, and she struggled to breathe. Ontari yanked her back, keeping Melody imprisoned between her body and the bow, forcing her to watch the fight between Finn and Narcissus.

Melody watched as Narcissus swiped at Finn with a shark-tooth studded club; Finn kept trying to go to Melody and Ontari, but Narcissus kept intercepting. Every time, Narcissus struck closer to Finn, narrowly missing by inches. Finn refused to use his knife, for Melody knew he hated hurting merpeople in that way unless he had to.

Melody desperately tried to free herself, but Ontari, like Zafrina, had well-developed muscles from years of swimming. Ontari was even stronger than Zafrina, with her additional years of hard training. Melody would have to swim for some time to equate to Zafrina at least, let alone Ontari. "You'll never win, human!" Ontari gloated, and Melody's head filled with alarms as she felt Ontari tugging at the gold on her wrist; she was trying to pull the bracelet off. Melody struggled more, before she lashed out with her elbow, jabbing it into Ontari's stomach. She worked her fingers under the loosened bow, pushing it away enough for her to duck out of it.

Melody twisted around, before she attempted to punch Ontari, but the other mermaid seized her fist before it could make contact with her face. Ontari grinned mockingly, before twisting Melody's arm painfully; burning pain shot up her limb. "Let go!" Melody shook her arm, unable to prize her hand free of the mermaid's grasp. Ontari forced her to the floor, and the pressure in her arm only intensified. Melody floundered like a fish, while Ontari loomed in her face, grinning still.

"Nia wanted to kill you herself, but I suppose I can give her a valid excuse!" Ontari was reaching toward her pouch, distracted as she searched for a red urchin spine. But then Melody remembered a move of Finn's. He had used it to free himself from those three Atlantican guards, when he and Melody had first met.

Melody didn't think about anything else. She lurched with great force, her head connecting with Ontari's forehead. Ontari's grip on her arm disappeared at once, and she dropped to the floor, eyes rolling in her sockets. Melody crumpled, clinging onto her head as a brief wave of pain and dizziness rolled through her skull at the impact. "Melody!" Shouted Finn's voice. Behind her, Finn finally fought with maximum effort. He punched Narcissus, not once, but over and over until Narcissus began to cry out, his hands covering his face. After a few moments, he gave up.

"Enough!" Narcissus finally broke away from Finn, having enough of the assault. He raced away, black and blue from bruising. His eyes glistened with malice as he turned to flee. "You'll regret this, traitor!" He vowed, racing away. Finn watched him go, before he whirled around, seeing the merboy who was hovering over Attina; the merboy, who couldn't have older than fifteen, stared from Finn to Melody to the unconscious Ontari. Finn felt a small prick of sympathy; the kid didn't want to be here. This was no place for a fifteen-year old.

"Leave, kid." Finn said, in a voice that refused to allow a protest. "Get away from this place, while you still can." The merboy briefly hesitated, before he tossed the spear away, and turned tail, fleeing in the opposite direction of the battlefield. Finn stared after him in relief, before he whirled around, racing over to Melody. "Melody! Are you okay?" Melody, from where she lay, slowly sat up, covering her forehead.

"That felt good." She muttered. "A little bit..." She shook her head, massaging her temples, and the pain melted away. "I'm alright. What about her?" Finn glanced at Ontari, who was unconscious on the floor - it was clear she'd be out for some time.

"She's not waking anytime soon, she's out cold. You were amazing!" He pulled her up from the sand, where she swayed slightly, although she was looking very pleased with herself. They then remembered Attina, and turned. Attina, having recovered, was staring at them in shock, sitting on the sand. Her hair was half out of it's updo, and her eyes were flooded with a mixture of anger and awe.

"After everything I said... you still came with us?" Attina asked, in shock. Melody looked at Finn, with slight guilt.

"Look, Attina -" Melody began, Finn opening his mouth to defend Melody, but Attina held up her hand.

"Don't explain - the palace will be empty. You must go now." Melody stopped speaking abruptly. She gaped at Attina, exchanging a look of astonishment with Finn. Had Attina really said that?

"What? You're not going to send her away?" Finn asked, in shock. Attina got up, brushing the sand off her arms.

"No, I'm not." Attina shook her head, looking apologetically at Melody. "I'm so sorry. I was just so... so afraid of what could happen, and after your mother begged me to keep you safe I... I didn't think you could survive here. I see now that you're more than able to take care of yourself." Her eyes clouded. "But I haven't seen Zafrina at all. I don't know where she could be." Melody's heart fell, and she looked down at her tail fins.

"Thanks, Attina." She murmured, before looking upwards, at the towering rock palace. The wide, moat-like dip in the sand hid them from the battle, which was very audible.

"We'll keep them busy." Attina said, moving toward her weapons.

"Attina -" Melody called, and her aunt looked back at her. "They carried Clay away, to the crevice. He's there, if you don't see him." Attina's eyes flooded with relief, before they closed briefly.

"Thank you, Melody." Attina sighed, scooping up her dropped bow and arrows, before she suddenly hugged her niece. Melody paused, surprised at the hug. "Please, do be careful." Attina pleaded.

"Of course we will." Melody replied. "And you, as well." Attina pulled away, smiling at her, before she nodded at Finn.

"I was wrong, not to trust you. I'm sorry, for that. You're always welcome in Delorea - both of you." Attina then turned, and left the dip in the sand, rejoining the battle. They watched her go, before they looked up, at the lump of rock. Melody bit her lip.

"I guess this is it, then."

"Pretty much." Finn replied, in a voice that didn't hide the unspeakable terror within.


	33. Hello, cousin

Nia stared across the battlefield, from where she was hidden from sight of the enemy. Simple words flooded her mind, like how, when, what, and disaster.

She had been out searching for more lone merpeople to 'possess', as she called it. Nia had thought that things had been going fine; her army growing, no sign of an ambush, and things had looked alright except for her treacherous nephew and the human in a mermaid's body infesting every corner of her mind. _Finnley's my half-nephew. Merissa was my half-sister; my father wasn't the king._ Nia had then been jolted out of her search by the sound of the conch shell, and returned to her palace to find _this._

Nia couldn't lose her kingdom to these people - Atlanticans and Deloreans, merfolk from kingdoms she utterly despised. _My kingdom. I didn't kill my half-sister and poison the king to death to lose it the descendents of Triton!_ Thatwas true. The king hadn't died of a mystery illness; she had slipped a vial of poison into his drink the night before his death. She wasn't waiting another twenty years to claim her crown.

The queen pushed her memories aside, to watch the merpeople who were battling below. Desperately, she tried to see which side had the upper hand, but it was impossible to tell. Merfolk from both sides fled in equal numbers; some of the merpeople whom she had possessed were being carried away by the enemy. Her blood boiled at the sight of Queen Attina emerging from the dip in the sand around the palace, and she reached for her sword, but then she saw Narcissus, swimming alone along the edge of battle, looking desperately through the crowd, his skin mottled black and purple from heavy bruises. _He may be looking for me. Why else wouldn't he be fighting_?

Nia extended a hand, and the club in the merman's hand was torn away as she went to get his attention. Narcissus whipped around, watching it fly through the water; but as he followed it, he caught sight of Nia summoning him. The club flew into her hand, and Narcissus came racing toward her.

"What happened? How on earth did they get here?" Nia demanded. Narcissus, covering a swollen, black eye, struggled to speak without feeling any pain from Finn's assault.

"I don't know! One minute it was quiet, and then I heard the conch and when I came back from a five-minute swim and then all hell had broken loose! They keep capturing the merpeople under your spell, dragging them away and sticking your urchin spines in them."

"How could they have figured that out?" Nia stared at the battle, clueless. "What idiot waltzed around and blabbed our secrets? What if I get hit by a purple one? I could be weak like everyone else!" Narcissus rose his eyebrows. _Some humble queen..._ "Where's Otan?"

"I don't know..."

"You know nothing!" Nia snarled, in frustration. "You're useless, just like everyone else - look at the state of you, so easily defeated..."

"Your majesty, your _nephew_ did this to me!" Narcissus interrupted, and Nia turned sharply at the mention of Merissa's son. The merman took his hands away from his swollen face, revealing the full extent of the bruises. "He's here! Finn! He and that Melody-"

 _"What?"_ Nia suddenly seized Narcissus by the neck, and he stared at her in alarm, struggling to pry her hands away from his throat. " _She's_ here as well? Where? Tell me!"

"They were in the dip at the palace base - I don't know why they're here, but -"

"How could you not, you complete fool?" Nia spat, throwing the merman to the floor. Narcisssus cowered as her wrath unleashed. She threw his club into the water with rage, her hands going into her hair and pulling hard - Narcissus's eyes widened as he saw her pull out a few silver hairs. "They're here for that girl! For that traitor who's dying in his cell, and for Triton and, and -" Her blood froze when she realized that the trident was in the palace - the _empty_ palace, unguarded and waiting for an intruder to take it. "They're here for the trident, you imbecile! Don't you worry, I'll deal with my nephew and the human!" Nia plucked up her sword and her spear, before proceeding to leave.

"Queen Nia! Aren't you going to help -" Narcissus immediately stopped talking at her icy glare. He looked down at his tail fins, as Nia then raced away toward the palace, avoiding the battle. Once she was away, he glared after her. _She's so selfish - she clearly doesn't care about any of us!_ Narcissus looked down at his club, before he dropped it, reaching a decision. _That's it - I'm doing what I should have done from the beginning. I'm getting out of this place while I still can!_ Like a few other merpeople had already done, Narcissus swam away, intending to seek redemption and a better life.

 _Meanwhile_

Melody followed Finn through the entrance tunnel, blinking in the darkness. She had one hand at the scmitar handle, and her other hand on the wall, feeling the cold rock under her palms. The stone wall was cold, almost like ice in coolness - it was smooth and solid, a shade of unfriendly dark grey. Melody could hardly see, but as they moved further in, she began to adjust to the darkness. Yet as they moved, she wondered how on earth Nia could handle living in the place.

"Right - you know how to get to the cell, right?" Melody looked around, anxiously, wondering how on earth Finn knew where to go. There were so many tunnels and holes in the walls.

"Yes, I remember. She kept me there once." At her stare, Finn sighed. "All I'd done was miss a stupid training session. She left me in one of the cells for the whole night - worst sleep of my life, let me tell you. I just hope Bay's holding up..." Finn began to swim faster, guiding Melody into the labyrinth that was Nia's palace. She stayed close behind, never letting him leave her sight, and never moving her hand from the scmitar or the wall.

It was eerily quiet; the corridors were like death, in darkness, stillness and silence. Occasionally, there would be movement, making them jump, but it would turn out to be a single eel or fish sliding through the water. Melody's - but Finn's especially - skin crawled as they swam throughout the palace. _Palace? How is this a palace?_ Finn thought, with scorn.

The palace he had spent the first six years of his life in was reduced to ruins, sea plants crawling all over it. The gold was faded and the marble was split and crumbling; after Nia had abandoned it, the palace had grown wild. Why had Nia abandoned such a grand palace for a lump of rock? Yet as he swam, he thought that it was better that way. Nia didn't deserve it, and he'd rather the old palace die with his mother than host that treacherous seawitch. Was Merissa watching them now? Was _Nia? Where even is she?_

Ahead, he saw something on the floor, propped against the wall. Melody must have noticed it too, because her nails were suddenly digging into his upper arm as she quivered with fear. "I recognize that hook." Melody whispered.

Otan's fishhook covered at least a square two feet; it was hooked, carved from the bones of a whale. The serrated edge had been carved in with a knife, and the barbed hook end was reinforced with a shark tooth. The kingdom emblem was engraved on the hook base, which was attached to a long, thin rope. The rope, acquired from a shipwreck, coiled on the ground next to it, and Finn knew that the line of nicks in the edge of the hook was for every merperson Otan had killed with the weapon; although, Finn was sure that Otan hadn't killed that many. He was terrible at adding numbers and he loved to lie and brag. Finn and Melody looked around in fear, but there was no sign of the terrifying owner.

"I... I'm sure he'd be outside." Finn said, trying to sound confident.

"But... isn't that his _signature_ weapon?" Melody's eyes were enormous. "I've never seen him without it other than that first night visiting that club..."

"Maybe he was in a rush?" The conversation ended there, for up ahead, there was the sound of pebbles scuttling across the floor. Melody drew in a sharp breath, instinctively retreating behind Finn. "Quick, get in there!" Finn dived into a crack in the wall, pulling Melody with him. They shifted uncomfortably, crammed into a space that was far too small for them both. Melody wriggled awkwardly in the gap, pressed against Finn.

"This is uncomfortable." She muttered.

"Sssh! Someone's out there!" Finn whispered, holding back a yelp of pain when his head hit the ceiling. Melody twisted her head painfully, squinting in frustration, for the the movement casted her hair into her eyes. She shoved back her hair so that it was away from her face, peering out of the gap. Behind her, Finn leaned forward, parting her floating hair so that he could see.

Something was moving out there. A pair of tail fins flicked as somebody swam past, but it was too dark to see who the fins belonged to. Even if visibility had been better, it wouldn't have made a difference because whoever it was, they swam too fast. However, Melody saw a glint of metal. At the end of the corridor, a muttering voice sounded.

"I'm going to check up on a noise. Nobody gets past - use any means necessary." Melody failed to distinguish the owner of the voice; it was mumbling and inaudible, heavy with misery. There was a pause, and then an impatient grunt. "Oi! Did you hear me, emotionless?" Suddenly, as the merperson replied, Melody and Finn realized that it was a mermaid replying.

"Yes." Melody's blood ran cold, as did Finn's. Slowly, they looked at each other. _Don't tell me. Tell me it's not her. I'd rather face Nia than her._ Melody didn't think - against Finn's whispered protests, she pushed out of the wall crack, to face the mermaid. Finn hastily followed, reaching toward his dagger in case the merperson who had been speaking was still there, but luckily, they had moved on. But this hardly made Melody and Finn feel better.

Zafrina stared at the two intruders blankly, with emotionless, glassy golden eyes. "Please, Zafrina." Melody pleaded. "Are you still in there?" A tiny part of her latched onto the hope that Zafrina had been putting up an act to fool Nia until she could be rescued. But she was proven wrong, for Zafrina had a curved knife in hand, her knuckles whitening as her grip intensified. Melody pulled the scmitar out of the pink seaweed from around her waist; she had that in one hand, and a purple urchin spine in the other.

This wasn't going to end well.


	34. Raining rocks

Finn looked Zafrina up and down, appalled at the state of his friend. While the bruises on her neck had faded completely, the majority of her body was dirty and streaked with sea mud, with scratches marking her arms, collarbone and her left cheekbone. Her gold-tipped brown hair had lost it's lustre, tangled with sand and seaweed caught in the tresses; beauty-expert Zafrina would be mortified by the state of herself. Her lips were dry and there was a little dried blood in the right corner of her mouth. Her golden eyes were fixated on the two merpeople in front of her.

"How are we going to do this?" Whispered Melody, in horror. Zafrina was a powerful mermaid, and she had learned battle skills from her father, Adonis; one of the greatest warriors in his native kingdom. "I'm useless at fighting." She looked down at the scmitar, wondering why she had bothered bringing it when she barely had any idea on how to use it.

Finn looked down at his mother's dagger, the blue gemstones reflecting his face. He couldn't use it on Zafrina, so, with a moment of hesitation, he put it back in his belt. He reached toward the wall, where several spears were lined up. He picked up a wooden one, before twisting it so that the pointed tip wasn't directed at Zafrina. He wasn't going to harm her, but he wasn't letting that knife near him, either. Perhaps he could knock it from her hand? Use the spear to stop the knife touching him? "I'm going to try and knock the knife from her. I'll keep her distracted; you wait for a chance to inject a spine." He glanced at her.

Melody was relieved, desperate not to fight her cousin. She nodded, before she retreated a foot or two to give him more room, putting the scmitar back in the pink seaweed, and gripping onto the purple urchin spine in her hand.

Finn moved forward slowly, wondering if by some miracle Zafrina would let them pass; but the curved knife shot upwards to block his path, the sharp end scraping against the stone. Her fiery eyes looked sinister despite the blankness; they could be so beautiful, yet dangerous too. "Alright, then." He narrowed his own eyes. He shoved the spear toward the knife, but Zafrina, moving at lightning speed, darted clear. Finn whirled around, seeing the knife slash toward his face - with a gasp, he ducked, avoiding it by inches. He swam down the corridor, to keep Melody out of Zafrina's range, and the possessed mermaid raced after him. She was incredibly speedy, and then she was in the corner of his eye.

Suddenly, he felt the end of her knife graze the back of his tail, and as he momentarily slowed, a pair of arms wrapped around him and he went tumbling to the ground as Zafrina crashed into him. The spear flew from his grasp, landing at Melody's tail fins. They rolled across the floor, a whirlwind of navy and mint-green, while Melody looked on, frozen in horror, unsure what to do. They writhed on the ground, Finn struggling to escape her grasp, and Zafrina doing everything in her power to keep him there. She leapt onto him from behind, arms tightening around his neck, but as he struggled violently, she let go. His energy made him fly forwards.

Finn thudded onto the cold stone floor, and he ignored the pain in his back. Zafrina crouched over him, the curved knife in her hands and her arms drawn back above her head as she prepared to bring it down. With a gasp, Finn's hands flew up to seize Zafrina's wrists as the knife plunged downwards. Desperately, he tried to push her arms and the knife away, but Zafrina was stronger than he thought. The knife trembled inches above his throat, as Finn struggled to push her away from him. His arms began to ache as Zafrina's efforts intensified, her teeth snagged on her lower lip as she struggled. "Melody! _Do something!"_ He grunted, as the blade sank down, closer and closer to his neck as Zafrina began to overpower him.

Snapping out of her trance, Melody looked around in fear, before remembering the order given to Zafrina. _Nobody gets past._ It was worth a try."Hey!" She shouted, and Zafrina briefly glanced up, in time to see Melody racing down the corridor. Immediately, she sprang away from Finn, speeding after the other mermaid. Melody, the dropped spear in hand, suddenly whirled around, rushing at Zafrina with the wooden spear outstretched horizontally between them.

Melody shoved the bar into her cousin's stomach, and there was a 'huff' as the breath was drawn out of Zafrina. She pushed her up against the wall, hoping that she could apprehend Zafrina, but she was overpowered within seconds. She was quickly pushed away, onto the cold hard ground, and the urchin spine flew from her hand. Desperately, Melody tried to reach for the urchin spine pouch, only to see the pink seaweed lying a few feet away on the ground, the knot displaced in the struggle. Zafrina advanced, the knife in hand.

Melody crawled backwards, entirely defenceless, as the cold tunnel wall pressed against her back; she was trapped. She stared pleadingly at Zafrina, tears thickening her voice. "Zafrina! Snap out of it, please! Nobody owns you, especially not Nia!" There was no response as Zafrina drew back the knife, about to kill her cousin, her best friend. Melody covered her face, waiting for the feeling of a knife. She trembled with terror, waiting, and waiting. But the feeling never came.

She heard a gasp. Slowly, she moved her arms in time to see Zafrina's eyes flutter shut. She stared as Zafrina slumped down to the ground, the knife clattering to the stone floor, harmless. Eyes wide, she looked up, to see Finn there, breathing heavily. An urchin spine stuck out of the back of Zafrina's shoulder, and the urchin spine pouch was in Finn's hand.

Just then, Melody thought she saw movement at the end of the corridor.

There was a flash of silver, and suddenly, stones and shards of rock were raining down upon them. Melody screamed, covering her face; the stones and rocks were being torn from the walls, flying down as if by magic. She dived for Zafrina, seizing her arms and dragging her backwards, away from the flying rocks; then she heard Finn cry out.

 _"Melody! Melody!"_ Behind the flying stones, she just glimpsed an icy hand seizing Finn by the arm, dragging him backwards. Finn struggled to free himself, but then the stones thickened, screening him from view. Larger rocks were falling, moving in the air by themselves to form a perfect walls, stacking themselves on top of each other.

"Finn!" She shrieked, rushing toward the top of the wall, where a tiny gap remained. She looked into the gap, just seeing two silhouettes in the darkness at the end of the corridor. An arm was hooked around Finn, a sword pressed to his neck, and he was being dragged around the corner. But then a stone wedged itself into the gap, blocking the view. She hovered there, stunned, as a wall of rocks filled her vision.

Recovering from the initial shock, Melody lunged, shoving at boulders and yanking away stones, shrieking Finn's name over and over; all she heard was his voice, which was growing distant. The stones grazed her hands, but she ignored the pain, working at pulling the stones away. There was no doubt in her mind as to who had caused the rockfall, who had Finn now. Just as Melody thought the gap was large enough, she heard a muttering behind her.

She whirled around, to see Zafrina groaning in pain from where she lay sprawled on the floor. Suddenly, Melody was distracted from Finn. She raced down to Zafrina's side, working her hands under her cousin's head and shoulders, and beginning to pull her up into a sitting position. Zafrina's hands found the ground, and she was now pushing herself up, eyes opening. Melody let go of Zafrina, backing away a little.

Zafrina was sat up, facing away from Melody. She was very still, as stiff as a board and silent. Finally, she slowly turned around, staring at Melody as if she were a ghost. "Zafrina?" She asked, hopefully, scanning her eyes for blankness; but the sheet of glass had vanished. Zafrina's fiery golden eyes burned back at her, flooded with pure horror.

"I'm so sorry..." She whispered. Her eyes closed, and her hands covered her face. Zafrina began to weep into her palms. "I almost killed you both." She began to shake with guilt, and at the horror of what could have happened. "What... what if I had?"

"But you didn't!" Melody insisted, sweeping the tangled hair from Zafrina's face. "Look, you're back now. And that's all that matters -" There was a distant shriek; Finn's voice rang off the walls, and Zafrina stiffened. Remembering with a jolt, Melody hastily began to reattach her pink seaweed, ensuring that the scmitar was there, but the pouch of urchin spines weren't. Cursing in silence, she looked from Zafrina to the end of the corridor, torn, before another shriek determined her decision. "Listen, just... the trident's in Nia's potion room, and Bay is in..." Her voice faded. She couldn't expect Zafrina to do those things in her condition. "Just stay here, and hide out before one of our guys comes to get you. They'll be Atlantican and Delorean... I'm sorry, but I have to -"

"Melody... go." Zafrina was shaking her head, clearing the blurriness. "He needs you. I'll just..." She shifted back, to lean on the wall, where she began to massage her temples. "I'll be here. I'm done." With a brief moment of hesitation, Melody looked at Zafrina once more, before her red tail fins disappeared into the gap, and she tore away.

Zafrina's head rolled, and her hands moved to her lower spine, and there was a 'click' as she pushed at it. She groaned in pain, her fingertips finding the scratches along her collarbone and arms, before she found a few more on her left cheek. _How did that happen?_ She passed her tongue over her lips, wincing at the feeling of dry skin, and the faint taste of blood. But then a thought crossed her mind. _The trident, and..._ her heart plummeted, as she remembered throwing Bay into a cell. Her fingers snagged on a knot in her hair.

 _Great Neptune - Bay!_


	35. Zafrina and Bay

Zafrina desperately tried to remember how to find the prison part of the stone labyrinth, but her mind was a complete blur. All memories of what she had been doing over the past few days were blurry, smeared into a confusing pool of colours and sounds. They were shiny, almost glossed over; they weren't her actions. That was Nia's magic doing it's work.

While her mind had been under Nia's control, Zafrina's brain had felt like it was filled with tiny, nervous fish. They had been darting around her mind, turning wheels to control her. Everytime she was given an order by Nia, Ontari, or any other authoritative merperson, something in her brain had clicked to obey that order. She hadn't had any thoughts, considering her safety or how violent she was - it was just doing everything possible to obey that order. She just hadn't been able to stop herself. Her heart thudded as she tried to recall killing someone, but to her relief, she couldn't seem to remember commiting such an act. But she could remember throwing spears and holding merfolk still as Nia casted her magic.

She couldn't believe how close she had come to killing both Melody and Finn. Her hands shook as she remembered slashing at Finn's tail, pushing the blade down toward his throat, and then almost driving the knife down into Melody as well. Guilt filled her like a parasite, and ice seeped through her veins. _What if I had killed them? What would my parents say? My sisters, and poor Ariel! She'd never look at me again!_

 _Stop thinking that!_ Zafrina could hear Melody saying, but she couldn't believe it. If only she hadn't let Nia and her people overpower her and take the trident, none of this would be happening. She wouldn't have ever gone under - if she'd fought harder, maybe... _Alana and Adonis never make mistakes like I do. I'm a failure - I let her control me, I almost killed those humans in that boat, and I tossed Bay into a prison!_

 _Will Bay even want to see me? I locked him in a cage, with such a badly mauled tail! He must despise me for what I did - he saved my life and that's how I repaid him?_

Zafrina had to stop. She slowed, hand on a stone column to support herself, to stop herself from sinking to the floor in despair. She felt sick to the core, as she remembered every innocent merperson she had seized over the last few days, dragging them to Nia and holding a knife to their throats when they resisted... She gritted her teeth, eyes tight shut, trying to forget it all. _It wasn't you..._ Her fingertips moved to her temples, and she pressed hard as the thought repeated. _It wasn't me. It was her magic, messing around inside my head._

Zafrina opened her eyes, shaking herself. She glanced at the column, and then at her tail fins, trying to remember how to get to the prison. After a few moments, she blinked. She turned her head, looking back at the column. Her fingers traced the five, vertical gouges - they were deep in the rock column, very noticeable from a distance. It seemed familiar. She blinked again. _Looks... almost like cell bars, like the cells in Atlantica...a_ _nd the cells here._ Zafrina then spotted a hole behind the column, a black square yawning in the wall. She suddenly heard Bay's voice in her head.

 _"Zafrina, please! Snap out of it..."_

Her blood went cold. Suddenly she had a recollection, of dragging Bay through the palace with a merman. She remembered him attempting to get away, grabbing onto this column with the five marks. She and the merman had torn him away from the column, into the square hole in the wall, and then... _Is this the prison?_

She swam into the hole in the wall, eyes flickering from side to side as she found a stone staircase, leading down into the gloom. Her heart pounded as she made her way down, hands on the walls as she moved further. Zafrina gradually adjusted to the dim light, beginning to see more clearly as she swam downwards, all senses on alert in case a spare merperson had been sent to guard the prison.

Zafrina kept expecting someone to leap out and challenge her, but to her confusion, there was nobody. Had the merpeople in charge in Nia's absence really been so foolish as to leave it unguarded? _How ironic - Nia's guys can be so clever and devious in some circumstances yet complete idiots in others!_

Then the steps faded. She briefly wondered why merpeople needed steps, but then her serious thoughts returned as she was faced with a narrow, dim corridor. Occasionally, the darkness was intercepted by a shaft of light; four of these lights streamed in, from the four cells on the left side. Four cells were also lined along the right side, although Zafrina realized they were stuffed full of spare and broken weapons and various other junk; clearly they weren't used for prisoners anymore. He had to be on the left somewhere.

Zafrina peered into the first cell on the left, scanning it for signs of life, but it was empty except for a few bones. She shivered, hoping that they were just large fish bones from a prisoner's meal. She looked into the second, but it was one again empty. She examined the third and fourth, frowning, but there was no sign of Bay.. _No..._ Her tail stopped swimming, and Zafrina began to sink toward the floor. _If Bay's not here... he must be..._

Just before the word entered her head, Zafrina realized she had solely been using her eyes to look, ignoring what her ears had been picking up since she had swam down the staircase. She rose her head, ears suddenly on full alert, as she detected it. Uneven, shallow breathing, coming not from the last cell, but just next to it. She rose from the floor, moving back to the third one. There was definitely something in there - she could hear breathing...

Then her breath caught in her throat. At first glance, he was barely visible but a pair of green tail fins lying in the patch of light from the cell window gave him away. He was huddled in the darkness of the cell corner, curled up tight, whimpering slightly in pain, in his sleep. The merman's arms were wrapped tight around himself, and his chest moved rapidly up and down as he breathed. She felt a small bud of hope.

"Bay?" She asked, uncertainly. He muttered, moving his head slightly; his hair moved into the light, revealing that it was a very pale silver-blonde. Her heart leapt. "Bay!" She exclaimed, loudly this time, and Bay began to stir. His head, cloaked by his hair, rose dully. His eyes were almost filled with dread, as if expecting someone horrible to be there. But then he saw who it was at the bars, and he blinked.

"Zafrina?" He whispered, in shock, blinking multiple times, as if assuring himself that he wasn't hallucinating. Then he was struggling to sit properly, dragging himself out of the corner. Zafrina dived for the cell handle, only to see a padlock. She looked around, desperately trying to spot a key, but then her patience ran out. Seizing a large rock on the floor, Zafrina repeatedly struck the padlock, with brutal force, and Bay crouched back, flinching at the noise.

Finally, the padlock broke. Tearing it away, Zafrina wrenched open the sliding door, shoving it to the right. She dived into the cell, to the floor, where Bay was now struggling to get closer to her. Zafrina and Bay faced each other momentarily, scanning each other's eyes to look for blankness, but both were clear. Tears sprung to Zafrina's eyes as she threw her arms around Bay, so relieved to see him alive. She ran her hands across his hair, to assure herself she wasn't imagining him - his hair was dirty but still had the feel of silk she remembered. After a long moment, she pulled back, sniffing heavily. She moved the hair from Bay's eyes, so that she could see the silver quartz better. Bay stared back at her, pure joy sparkling within his eyes, but then the guilt swarmed up within Zafrina.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I put you here, I'm so, so..." Bay's eyes widened as Zafrina started to cry, hands covering her face. "I... I was a horrible friend, and I failed you, and... and... this is all my fault!" He began frantically shaking his head.

"Look at me, Zafrina." Bay said, urgently. Zafrina looked up, miserably. "It wasn't you. None of this is because of you!" His hands were grasping hers tight, and she went soft at his words. "I thought of no one else while you were gone. I was so worried that something would happen to you."

"You don't hate me? Not... not one bit?" Zafrina stared at him, touched, and stunned.

"Of course I don't." Bay assured her. He suddenly looked embarrassed and bashful. "Listen, I... while you weren't here, I honestly thought that you..." He started to stammer, trying to tell it to her straight, but he became awkward and clumsy with words, struggling to speak properly. "I really - I really like... what's wrong with me?" Zafrina had to laugh - she put a finger to his lips, silencing him.

"I adore you." Zafrina said, simply, before planting a passionate kiss on Bay. She was afraid he might pull away because of her dry lips or the mud streaking her face, but Bay didn't. Zafrina would have made the kiss last longer, but then she became aware of a burning sensation on her lips. She pulled back, staring at Bay in shock. "Jumping jellyfish, your skin is on fire!" Her hand moved to his forehead, and beneath her touch, his skin was scorching. "You have a fever, Bay! How did that happen?" Bay didn't utter a word. It was then that Zafrina, in the patch of light, saw him completely.

Like her own hair, Bay's was a tangled, knotted mess, although everything they had in common was worse on Bay. His skin was dirty and restless, his face was pale, and his brilliant eyes were dull with hunger and the pain he had endured over the last days. His ribs and collarbone were prominent, and his cheeks were hollow. "I look terrific, don't I?" He said, with a pained smile.

"You look marvellous." Zafrina replied with sarcasm, appalled at the state of him. "What have they done to you?"

"If you've ever wondered what days without food in a cramped cell does to you, now you know." Bay's shoulders slumped.

"But... where did your fever come from?" She prompted, before she saw how there was a patch of green on his tail that didn't blend into the rest of his scales. Suddenly, she remembered seeing the sea serpent's teeth sinking into Bay's tail. Zafrina prepared herself, knowing how fevers could be caused by infected wounds, before she swallowed hard and looked at his tail. She stiffened, the sickness rising instantly.

Three gouges, teeth marks, scored into his tail. They were long, ragged and weeping, several inches long. The colour was alternating shades of angry red, glistening white, and sickly yellow and green. The scales around the gashes were tinged with dark pink, and when she felt the area around the wound, it was even hotter than his lips and forehead. She struggled to keep the contents of her stomach down, quickly retracting her hand.

"I can barely swim, Zafrina." Bay began, looking down at his hands. "I'll slow you down... you just need to get yourself, the trident and your grandfather out of here, so I don't know if -"

"I'm not leaving this lump of rock without you, so you can stop right there." Zafrina said, in a voice nobody would dare argue. "Come on, I've got good genes from my dad - everyone's strong and has great muscle tone in his kingdom. I'm stronger than you think-" she cut off upon pulling Bay's arm over her shoulder, and pulling him up from the floor. "-and you're heavier than you look." She grunted.

"Sorry!" Bay said, apologetically, biting back a cry of pain; moving in this way was agony. "Just swim along a wall, I'll put one hand on it." So she did. Zafrina carried Bay on one side, and he supported the rest of his body with a hand against the wall. With that, they began the descend up the stairs, slowly and carefully. "How did you do it? You're normal again..."

"I was never normal - it was too boring." Zafrina tried to lighten the atmosphere, as she swam with Bay, but this feeling dulled when she answered his question. "Melody and Finn found me. They brought me out of it, and now they're -" she remembered how Finn had been screaming, how Melody had had to race away... "They had to leave." She said, simply.

Bay opened his mouth to ask, but his words changed to another cry of pain when his tail brushed against a stone. His arm over Zafrina's shoulder was hot on her back, and his eyes would occasionally close, before opening again. Her stomach twisted in her worry. As soon as they had the trident and had freed Triton, Zafrina would get him to a healer.

 _As long as we get out of here... who knows who's lurking within this place? Who was the merperson who gave me the order that nearly killed Finn and Melody?_ She stiffened. _What if they're still here? Who were they?_ Zafrina desperately tried to remember. But no name came to her mind.


	36. Purple urchin spine

Zafrina and Bay peered around the corner, ensuring that the coast was clear, before they headed down another corridor. Zafrina was beginning to regret dragging Bay on her trip to Nia's 'potion room'; her arms were aching from supporting him for so long, but that wasn't her main concern. His tail needed treating as soon as possible, and every jolt caused him pain. Why hadn't she done the smart thing, and find an Atlantican or Delorean to take him somewhere safe? But then, Bay wouldn't let her do it on her own, and they had swum too far to go back anyway.

"Ow!" Bay exclaimed, not for the first time. Zafrina winced again.

"We're nearly there." She promised, stomach churning every time her fins brushed his lower tail, where the wound was. "I can leave you here if you want, and I'll get the trident -"

"No!" Bay said, sharply. "I'm not letting you get it by yourself, not in this - watch that rock!" Too late. Bay's tail hit a stone, and he released a loud cry of pain.

"Ssh!" She hissed, looking around with panicked eyes as she hoped Bay hadn't drawn any unwelcome attention. Once she was satisfied nobody was hiding in the gloom, her concern returned to Bay. "Are you alright?" She whispered, her heart sinking at the pain on Bay's face.

"I-I'm okay, I'm o-kay." Bay stammered, his teeth biting into his lower lip, so hard Zafrina thought he'd draw blood. When his teeth retracted, his lip was white. His eyes were dull and growing more delirious the further they swam, and Zafrina couldn't help but wonder how much further he could swim before she had to carry him entirely. "Just get the stupid fork!"

"Trident." Zafrina corrected, guiltily. "It's just down there, see?" She pointed down the corridor, hoping it would make Bay feel better. But as they swam down it, the statues lining the tunnel side melting into view, Zafrina and Bay didn't realize that someone was headed to the exact same place they were.

 _Meanwhile_

Finn felt four years old again, caught in his aunt's anger. The difference was, Nia and Merissa weren't quarreling above him, and he hadn't done something stupid like draw on Nia's walls or bump into her as she swam past. Nia was half talking to him and half talking to herself, hissing about his weakness, the human following them, and at how everything was going wrong. Her arm was locked around him, her sword pressed against the major artery in his neck, meaning that he couldn't free himself. Occasionally, he'd see Melody's shadow at the end of the tunnel or hear her voice, but then Nia would turn another corner.

"Let go of me, Nia!" Finn tried every move; he tried elbowing her, throwing his head backwards and sinking his nails into her arms, but no matter how much blood he drew or pain he caused, Nia didn't let him go at all, not until they were out of the darkness. He heard the battle - shrieks, grunts, metal upon metal. But she didn't head toward the fighting. She dragged him straight down, into the dip in the sand around the palace.

Once they were in the dip, Nia threw him, hard, onto the sand. Finn tumbled, coming to a stop only when he smacked into a boulder. It drew the breath out of him, and it took him a few moments to recover from the blow. He rolled over, and looked around Nia, up at the palace, but Melody was no where in sight. He was alone, with the mermaid who murdered his mother.

Nia's decorative scars had been painted scarlet, making it look as though she had blood curling around her eyes and streaming down her arms. Her grey eyes darted to and fro, and much her silver and blonde hair had been pulled from her layered braids; the strands stuck up and hung down in messy clumps. She lacked the armour that usually covered her torso and seashells - she clearly hadn't had time to get it. The seashells were still blackened, from when Zafrina had electrocuted her. A large burn was half-healed on one arm, a souvenir from the same attack. Knives were lined up along her waist, and she had two swords, one on her left side, and the other on her right side. Finn only had his dagger; he was hilariously outmatched.

"Why are you on their side?" She demanded, pacing before his eyes; she kept swimming closer, and Finn crawled backwards, before he could move no further, the sand and rock wall digging into his spine. He was trapped. "How could you be allied with someone like her? Your natural enemy!" She pointed the sword down, so that it hovered between his chest and chin. "The granddaughter of Triton, a human! Whatever possessed you?"

"Melody understands me like no one else ever has!" Finn flinched when the sword moved closer. "I love her - something you wouldn't know about." Suddenly, the sword came away from his neck. Nia pulled him off the floor, thrusting him against the dip wall. His arm twisted behind his back, as she snarled into his ear.

"How dare you." She hissed, in outrage. "I knew love. I loved my mother, before those humans killed her!" Finn winced, remembering the chilling tale Nia had told him when he was three. At that age, Merissa and Nia, while not close, had gotten along relatively well. It was what Nia had done to Finn that day that had been the turning point of their sisterhood. Once Finn had told Merissa what Nia had said, she and Nia had had an explosive argument, which was the beginning of their relationship completely going downhill.

Merissa had asked Nia to watch Finn for a few minutes while she looked for one of his toys, and Nia had - albeit reluctantly - agreed. Nia had always been dissatisfied with the neutral view of humans Merissa had given her son. She had told him that humans were best avoided, since some - but not _all_ \- could be dangerous. This was a view which Nia had highly disagreed with, and he supposed she had told him this particular story to make him hate and fear all humans.

So, Nia had used these minutes to tell him a scary story; of how his grandmother had been swimming with Nia and Merissa one day when Merissa was around five, and Nia a teenager. They had been swimming near the surface, before a fishing boat had come out of no where. Nia and Merissa had escaped, but a net had caught their mother by the neck. By the time Nia and Merissa's screams had attracted the attention of some passing merpeople, and the queen had been cut free, it had been too late to save her. The story had given Finn nightmares.

"That was an accident!" Finn protested. "The humans didn't know she was swimming there, you can't hate them all for one mistake! It doesn't make them all evil!" Nia completely ignored him.

"I also loved my sister!" Nia insisted, but this sentence only infuriated him more. Burning rage tore through Finn.

"You didn't love Merissa!" Finn spat, struggling against her. "Don't try to manipulate me! Was a stupid crown really more important than my mother? If you truly loved Merissa, you wouldn't have stuck your knife in her chest!" Nia twisted his arm harder, and he bit back a cry of agony. Finn began to panic, feeling the pain increase, his arm twisting further. _She's going to break my arm!_

"You've lost, foolish boy." Nia sneered, ignoring his words, before throwing him to the floor. Finn held his arm painfully, cowering underneath Nia. "You're a disappointment, nephew. You could have had a chance. You could have been a fine solider, made Merissa proud." She hissed, mockingly, all attempts at getting him to her cause clearly forgotten. "You're so weak." Finn closed his eyes tight, before words came to him.

"No, Nia. _You're_ the weak one." He opened his eyes, looking his aunt steadily in the face, and Nia stiffened. "You've always been weak, and you always will be. No matter how many merpeople you turn to stone, humans you drown, or kingdoms you conquer, you're weak in here." He prodded the area over his heart. "Most of your people fight for you out of fear, not loyalty. You'll never know friendship, or love - I actually feel sorry for you. You're just a seawitch who hides herself under a shell, out of fear." Nia was laughing, trying to disguise the horrified and angry look on her face. "My mother is already proud of me! Unlike you've ever been, of anyone except yourself!" Finn then launched himself off the ground, but Nia simply rose her hand.

She couldn't move people, only objects. Therefore, the invisible force that was her magic used the knifebelt to throw him against the wall. Finn struggled, but his belt pinned him back, sticking him to the sand and stone. She approached him with burning eyes, reaching for the knives at her waist, but then, a pair of arms appeared from no where. They wrapped around Nia's neck from behind, and Nia leapt away from Finn, shrieking and trying to dislodge her attacker. Melody was easily shaken off, crashing to the sandy floor. She rolled a few feet, before coming to a stop, flat on her face. She rose her head, hair full of sand, and Nia's sallow skin turned red upon seeing who it was.

"You!" Nia exclaimed, staring at Melody in a mixture of anger and surprise. Melody reached for her scmitar, but it flew away before she could even touch it. With a wave of her hand, Nia buried it in the sand floor, out of reach. Melody tried to spring upwards, but then a boulder flew up from the ground, straight onto her tail fins. Finn watched, too stunned to react.

Melody gasped, for the weight was immense. Instantly, she tried to free her fins, but the boulder refused to move. "Let me go!" She cried; there was then a tugging on her wrist. _Bracelet!_ She was ready this time. She seized the bracelet before it could move up her hand, and she kept firm hold as Nia tried to summon the bracelet to her. Finn tried to undo his belt to free himself from Nia's power, but the awkward tie had twisted to the back, and he couldn't undo it soon enough. But then his hand brushed something else. He suddenly remembered picking up the urchin spine pouch, when Melody had dropped it.

"You never learn, human." Nia hissed, trying harder to pull the bracelet away. "You should have stayed on the surface."

"I don't belong there!" Melody insisted, as the force of Nia trying to take her bracelet made her trapped tail fins pull painfully. Nia tried harder, but Melody kept hold.

"Stop, Nia!" Finn exclaimed, behind them. Melody looked up at Finn, where he was pinned to the wall. "Just let her go - you can kill me instead!" Nia opened her mouth to retort, but then a malicious look entered her eyes, a sinister idea on her mind. The pulling on Melody's bracelet faded, and she quickly turned her wrist to check on it. To her alarm, the gold had been distorted and bent somewhat by the force of Nia's pulling. Either it was her imagination, or her tail seemed to be tingling somewhat. She looked back at Nia, wondering why she had stopped trying to take the bracelet; she had a bad feeling.

Nia was swimming toward Finn, a look of concentration on her face, her hands rising toward his temples. Finn stiffened, and Melody stared from Nia to Finn. _She wouldn't._ Her fingertips had tiny red snakes under the skin; that was what Serenity remembered before being taken over by magic.

"Someone's got to get rid of her." Nia hissed, looking over her shoulder at Melody, before looking back at her nephew. "And it's going to be you. It'll be more painful that way."

"No!" Melody cried, in a strangled voice. She tried to pull her tail fins from the boulder, but the rock stayed put. She looked desperately at Nia, begging for mercy. "Don't do this, Nia! He's your nephew, you can't do that to your own family!"

"Nephew." Nia said, sourly. "At least this way he can be of use to me."

Desperately, Melody began digging at the sand around her fins, hoping to free them. Finn watched as Nia came closer, but she was doing exactly what he wanted. One arm, it appeared to Nia, was pinned behind his back, but if she'd really saw what he was doing, she wouldn't have loomed in his face. Finn narrowed his eyes.

"You know, if you weren't a coward, you'd fight by yourself, without your magic tricks or pawns to fight your battles." Finn found what he was looking for, and he began easing his arm out from behind his back.

"And why would I make the task less easy?" Nia asked, rolling her eyes, growing closer. "Why would I not use my powers?" The red bolts in her fingertips grew brighter, and he realized it was now or never.

"You ask too many questions, Nia." Finn narrowed his eyes. "Maybe it's because..." His grip behind his back tightened. "Your magic might get damaged at some point." Nia saw the flash of purple on the urchin spine, but she didn't move back fast enough. Melody watched, in shock, as the spine went deep into Nia's left arm.


	37. Facing two enemies

Nia tore the urchin spine free, but it was too late. The serum was coursing through her veins, doing what it was designed to do: to destroy her magic. Nia stared at Finn, in absolute horror. "What have you done?" She shrieked, looking at her fingertips, but the red bolts blinked out. The magic on Finn's belt broke as the serum spread through Nia's blood, freeing him from the wall. He shoved past Nia, rushing to Melody, where she was struggling to free her tail fins. Finn leaned all his weight on the boulder, and after a few excruciating seconds, Melody, with a grunt of pain, pulled out her tail fins.

"Are you okay?" Finn asked, worriedly. Melody nodded with a wince; her tail fins, asides from feeling a little numb, were undamaged, and beginning to tingle as the feeling came back. But then, Nia's grunts and gasps made them look round. Something strange was happening to her; she began to shudder uncontrollably, as though having a violent fit. She sank to the sand, before her shudders intensified. She thrashed there, writhing on the sand, crying out in horror and rage, delirious of what was happening around her.

"What's happening to her?" Melody looked on fearfully.

"I don't know!" Finn insisted, clinging onto Melody.

Nia's eye whites were all that showed as the eyes rolled in their sockets. Her eyelids fluttered madly, her nails tearing at her skin as she helplessly tried to stop the serum spreading further. Her nails scraped, leaving traces of red as they broke the skin, but this pain was nothing compared to the pain she felt under the skin; it was agonizing, physically and mentally, to destroy the magic that was infused within her blood. Nia was like a mermaid possessed, mouth parted in a soundless shriek as she floundered on the sand like a dying fish gasping for water.

Suddenly, Nia's floundering ebbed away. She lay there, twitching like a rabbit, her clenched fists slowly uncurling as the pain died. Melody glanced nervously at Finn, who was looking carefully at the now-black urchin spine, ensuring that it was the right one; what if he'd taken a red one by mistake? Finn stiffened. Maybe he _should_ have used a red one. It would have all been over with - the tyranny, the battle, everyone under the spell's influence and everyone who she had turned to stone... _Why didn't I use a red one?_ Finn knew the red would have been the easier option, but then he realized he could never bring himself to kill someone intentionally. _Merissa never wanted me to sink to Nia's level._

Then, Nia was shuddering. Her hands twitched to life, and she was beginning to mutter inaudible words. Her hands crawled across the sand, pushing her body up onto her hands and tail. From her frenzy on the sand, the red paint in Nia's decorative scars had smudged. It made it look almost as though blood was physically dripping from curling wounds in her face, upper torso and arms. Half of the layered braids had come out, and her weapon belt had unattached, lying a few feet away from its owner. Finn took the opportunity to pull one of the swords out, and he crouched beside Melody, waiting for Nia to come out of her delirious state. He needn't have waited long, for clarity had re-entered Nia's eyes. The daze faded, and then, Nia was trembling again, this time with fear.

She was holding her fingertips before her face, lost in concentration, but, no matter how desperately she tried, the red bolts would not appear. "You... _you..."_ the tangled hair could not hide the icy glare, as her face turned toward Finn and Melody. Desperately, Nia tried to summon the sword in Finn's grasp. Nothing happened. She then tried to tighten Melody's locket around her neck, so to strangle her. But there was nothing at all. Nia's powers had been obliterated - it was just her, now. With no magic, Nia was just a mermaid with no magical talent. It seemed to take a few moments for this to sink in, because for some time, she was utterly silent. But then Nia's temper exploded. "Traitor!" she snarled, at Finn. "What have you _done?_ You lost me my _powers!"_ suddenly, Melody realized that Nia was shouting at her - her poisonous eyes were fixated on her, a scarlet mist of rage descending over Nia's vision. She was blaming the human when she hadn't been the one to inject the spine. Slowly, Melody rose her hands.

"Nia, don't -" she began, but too late.

Nia leapt off the sand with outstretched, claw-like hands, diving for Melody's neck in a blind flash of rage. Finn intercepted, throwing all his weight against his aunt to stop her reaching Melody, who scooted away, cowering in terror. Nia fought against her nephew, blazing eyes filled with a terrifying madness. Finn pushed and shoved, trying to keep hold of her. "It's over, Nia! You -" but Nia was still powerful without her magic. She seized him, throwing him brutally, purposefully, toward the sand and rock wall. He was sent with such a force that he was unable to stop himself from crashing into it.

"No!" Melody cried, as Finn's voice silenced the moment his skull connected with a jagged stone. Finn fell, motionless, to the floor, a couple of stones clattering down around him as he did. He lay there on the sand, sprawled, eyes closed. Melody dived across the gap between them, crouching by his side. "Finn, talk to me!" she ran a hand through his dark brown hair, pushing it out of his face. His mouth hung open, and there was already a red patch on his head, a stream of red drifting up through the water. He was still breathing - the blow hadn't killed him, but he was out cold.

"It's just you and me, now." Nia's cold voice sounded from behind. "I may not have my powers, but I have my skills!" Nia swept up the sword from her discarded weapons belt, extending it toward Melody. Melody's heart thumped with panic, as she realized that she was alone, facing he mermaid who despised her so much, who had nearly killed her a few days before. Her hands found the sword which Finn had miraculously kept hold of, despite being thrown against the wall. She spun around, the sword held uncertainly as Nia advanced, a mermaid who actually knew how to wield a sword; just holding the heavy weapon alone pained Melody's arms. _I'm facing the most powerful seaqueen in all the ocean. And all I'm armed with is a weapon which I don't know how to use!_

"At least it's a fairer fight." Melody said, weakly.

"Fairer fight?" Nia narrowed her eyes. "Look at you, foolish girl. A human, at the bottom of the sea where you don't belong! Scrawny with hardly any strength, holding that sword like it's a _stick!"_ Melody looked at the sword, feeling incredibly stupid holding it. "How can you possibly hope to defeat me? I'm nearly fifty, and you're not even eighteen! Do you honestly think it's even worth trying?" Melody knew that Nia was right. She couldn't use the sword properly, and she had barely any fighting experience; she was against a mermaid who had probably fought more times than Melody had gone swimming in her lifetime. _I'm doomed... am I?_

"It is worth trying." Melody said, with more certainty. "I can stop you. Or I can at least hurt you."

"This is where it really ends." Nia moved closer, hatred burning in her eyes. Melody narrowed her own, and held the sword with both hands.

"Bring it!" Melody then launched herself forwards, the sword brought over her head, bringing it down onto the blade of Nia's sword.

 _Meanwhile_

Zafrina looked, in horror, at her grandfather's frozen face. There was a look of pain, rage, and misery on his expression, his stone eyes fixated on the last thing he had seen before being turned to stone. He was crouched, curled up in fear, looking almost nothing like the great merman she knew him as. Tears sprung to her eyes, hot and brought on by devastation and anger. She was barely aware of Bay's hand, no matter how hot it was, on hers. "I'll kill Nia. I'll _flay_ her." She vowed. Bay wanted to reply, but pain stopped him. He was ever-weakening, vision blurring. He tried to focus on Triton, but the seaking seemed to have three eyes and two noses. He slowly shook his head, but the mist didn't clear. Zafrina noticed this, and realized that they were wasting time. With one final glance at Triton, she went to the doors. _Doors? That's mostly a human thing... guess she doesn't want anyone in here._

Supporting Bay, Zafrina managed to open the doors, and enter the room. She put Bay on a nearby rock, where he slumped, his head in his hands, unable to deal with the pain. "Look, just sit here. I'll look around." Bay nodded slowly, and Zafrina winced at the festering wound on his tail, which had reopened from the travel. She turned, and began to scan the room, trying to be as fast as she could.

It was like the stereotypical seawitch's lair; dark and gloomy, with shelves bristling with bottles, filled with colourful liquids, powders, strange plants and repulsive, slime-covered creatures. Each one was labelled. Curious, Zafrina moved up to the shelves, reading the labels. _Whale bile. Shark saliva. Barracuda bone marrow... what does she need all these for? What sort of potion uses these gross ingredients?_ The other bottles consisted of various types of sea creature blood, octopus inks, sea serpent venom, and there was one jar filled with sting ray barbs and the teeth of an animal she didn't recognize. She had been reading the labels in hope that there was something that could heal Bay's tail, but it didn't look that way. Turning away from the shelves, Zafrina noticed a large bowl in the middle of the room, looking as though it were filled with a sheet of misty glass. She approached it carefully, initially reaching toward the glass-like sheet, but then thought better of it, retracting her hand. There was an open box made of dead coral sitting on the floor, filled with named vials which contained small amounts of watery blood, locks of hair, and tail scales. Zafrina picked up the box, throwing Bay a quizzical look.

"She uses that to look in on merpeople from far away." Bay muttered. Zafrina heard this, and began reading them. She stiffened; Andrina's name was one of them, as was Triton, and Melody, who's was empty. She continued to read, but then she found some more interesting names. _King Earendil, King Jorah, Queen Laguna! They're all leaders of other kingdoms..._

 _"Queen Costia!"_ she exclaimed, in shock and outrage. Bay glanced up, blinking at the furious look on Zafrina's face. "Costia's the name of the queen of my father's home kingdom! She's been spying on the monarchs of other kingdoms? How did she even get these stupid samples?" She angrily threw the box to the floor, and there was the loud crash of smashing glass vials and the coral box breaking to pieces. "Don't tell me she'd dream of conquering my dad's kingdom? It's miles away, and too bright and cheerful for her!" Zafrina stalked away from the box, angered further. She began throwing open cupboards and looking around boulders, but to her confusion and frustration, the trident was no where in sight. How hard was it, to find a large, golden, three-pronged weapon almost as tall as a mermaid in this little room? She'd give Nia one thing; she did a marvellous job of hiding things.

"Zafrina..."

"I know it hurts, I won't be long -"

"No..." Bay said, weakly, and Zafrina turned around. Bay was pointing at a swathe of green seaweed, hanging innocently from the wall. The seaweed had been arranged in such a way that it looked as though it grew there naturally, although it was clear, upon a longer look, that it had been fixed in place by some heavy stones sitting on the seaweed 'roots'. The seaweed was longer than herself, some strands made up of several pieces of seaweed to appear longer. The strands drifted in the current, and they couldn't hide the glint of gold within the dark space the seaweed concealed. Zafrina blinked, and swam up to the seaweed curtain, pushing it aside. The dark space was a rough, freshly carved hole in the rock wall; and stuffed carelessly within it, was the trident, golden and glistening, just waiting for the right person to find it. A bubble of relief and joy rose.

"Found it." said Zafrina, with a grin. She reached into the gap, wrapping a hand around the trident and puling it free of it's hiding place. There was a brief moment of silence and awe from both Zafrina and Bay, before their thoughts returned to the trident's owner, outside. "Come on, Bay. We're getting out of here!" With the trident in one hand, Zafrina used her other hand to pull Bay's arm over her shoulder once more. He grunted in pain, but he didn't seem as tense as before; they were leaving the palace now, and freeing Triton. It was almost over now. They swam, with difficulty, back outside, swimming along the line of rock statues until they reached Triton. But as they did, it occurred to Zafrina that she had no idea as to how to free Triton from his stone prison. "I'm seeing the little flaw in this plan." she commented, in frustration. She glanced at the trident; was it so simple as to command it to free Triton? To melt the stone away, and bring him back? "Alrighty." Zafrina looked at the trident, wondering how she should word it in her mind. "I think -"

 _"Think what?"_ snarled a voice, down the corridor. Zafrina almost dropped the trident in her shock, at the feeling of the acid in her stomach turning to icy water. Bay began to shake in terror, and they slowly turned their heads, toward the voice. Otan melted out of the shadows, with his fish hook gripped tightly in hand. Zafrina's heart plunged. _It was him! He ordered me to stop anyone getting past! He basically ordered me to - to - kill Melody and Finn! How on earth could I forget him?_ Otan was a sickening state. Half of his scraggly hair was gone, replaced by infected wounds - burns - and mottled with scars. The eye on that side seemed to be cloudy, almost, and half of his lips were shrivelled from scarring. Half of his head was red raw, the burns weeping and barely healed. The few patches of healed skin were horribly wrinkly and shiny, like the skin of the land fruit, avocado. Zafrina remembered aiming the trident at his head, and as she did, she had thought of every horrible thing Otan had said to her, the feeling of his brutal hands on her neck, his vile laugh. Perhaps these thoughts had caused the trident to do more damage than she had intended, because now Otan was as hideous as his cruel nature. "Finally." Otan snarled, the fish hook glistening with the same menace as his pale, cold eyes. "I get to kill you both! Nia's spell can't protect you now!"

Zafrina felt Bay pull her away, and the trident floundered dangerously. She shot a beam at Otan, but he dodged it, his rage firing his agility. With a cry, she aimed the trident at Triton. _Free my grandfather from his stone prison, if you can!_ She thought, desperately, and the beam struck Triton; the beam exploded into a shower of sparks, falling onto the seaking's stone skin. Zafrina initially thought that there was no effect, and despair tore through her. But Bay's screeches and Otan's taunting voice forced her to flee. But then she lost her grasp, and the trident flew from her hand, falling to the ground before Triton. She tried to retrieve it, but then Otan swarmed toward her, and she spun round. She seized Bay and raced down the tunnel, with Otan in pursuit, the fish hook swinging above his scarred head. In the corridor, the trident lay before Triton. The greyness of the stone was changing, and under the screams of Zafrina and Bay, there was a whisper of breath.


	38. Sunset upon the battle

Zafrina and Bay raced through the tunnels, gasping for breath, but they couldn't pause. Otan was hot on their tails, the fish hook flying occasionally, but the pair managed to dodge it; only just. The hook came dangerously close each time, scraping the stone floor, and the longer they avoided it, the angrier Otan grew. He was shouting all sorts of curses and insults, warning what he would do when he caught up to them. The three sped through the tunnels, unaware that a fourth was following them some distance behind. "You can't escape me!" Otan taunted. "I'll catch up to you eventually, you might as well give up now! Maybe I'll kill you more quickly!"

 _That's a lie!_ Both Zafrina and Bay thought. Otan would take his time. He'd enjoy torturing them into unconsciousness, where he'd finally kill them. They spun round a corner, but as they did, Bay crumpled against the wall. If they weren't surrounded by water, tears of agony would have been rolling down his cheeks, for the searing pain in his tail stabbed everytime his tail moved. Zafrina frantically pulled him back up, trying to ignore his cry of pain. "Bay, come on! We have to keep going!" she cried, desperately, aware that Otan would appear around the corner in mere seconds. Bay tried to loosen her grasp on his arm.

"Go on without me, Zafrina... I'll only slow you down, just get yourself out of here..." Bay's pleas went on ignored.

"Over my dead body!" Zafrina hissed, beginning to drag him along once more. Bay wept with agony, his tail feeling as though it were being slashed at with a serrated knife, but he forced himself to go on. He was starting to feel faint, his head throbbing, mind and vision covered by an impenetrable fog that clouded his senses. The more he forced himself to go on, the weaker he felt. Soon he wouldn't be able to swim at all. Zafrina pushed on, Bay hanging limply against her, feeling like a dead weight. She didn't know how much further she could supporthim until her arms gave out... "Leave us alone! There's a battle out there, go fight for your queen!" Zafrina knew that Otan couldn't be reasoned with, but she had to try. As expected, Otan laughed, his cackles cold and echoing off the walls.

"Nice try!" he sneered. "I'm not putting my neck on the line for some queen. I only obey her to get on her good side, to rise through the ranks! Without an heir, I could be her chosen successor! She'd want a powerful warrior to rule, should something happen to her!"

"You're blinded by stupidity and vanity!" Zafrina shouted, sourly. "You're obsessed with hurting me and Bay, what's the matter with you? You're creepy!" Everytime Otan looked at her, Zafrina felt eerily cold, her skin crawling. His hungered eyes were full of something, both hatred and a burning desire. His eyes would rake her body; her waist, lips, and she had caught him staring at her seashells one too many times. It was a relief that he hadn't taken advantage of her while trapped in Nia's spell. "Have you got some sick obsession with me? Is that it?" Jealous that Bay was the object of her affections, a lust that couldn't be fulfilled? It wouldn't surprise her. "Angry that I don't like you back? I'd never like someone like you! It's not just your horrible exterior, but you're even more hideous on the inside! Even if you were the best looker in the ocean, you're a vile merman who doesn't deserve any mermaid!"

"Shut your mouth, seawitch!" Otan roared, in rage. "You're only making your death more painful!" Zafrina continued to pull Bay, who was moving less and less, and the strain on her arms was growing. _We're slowing down!_ Otan was getting closer and closer, and the gap between them was shrinking. The situation was on the edge of disaster, but just when it couldn't get any worse...

Zafrina felt the stone smack into her face, and Bay screeched this time as they hit the wall with full force. Zafrina, covering her bleeding nose, looked up at the stone in absolute horror. "No, no!" she screamed, fists pounding the black rock. It was a dead end. Bay slid down the wall, where he lay, curled up and shaking as fresh blood started to seep from his wound. "Bay, please! We have to -" but no matter how hard she tried, Bay didn't move. It was too much, and she couldn't carry him. It was too late anyway, for Otan appeared around the corner. "No..." She whispered, beginning to shake. _This can't be happening. Not now..._

His yellow teeth flashed into a grin, utter triumph glistening within his eyes. "Dead end. Smart move." The hook swung in one hand, and he flipped it to the other, where he rose the white bone. He approached them slowly, grinning with madness. Finally, he had what he wanted. The two merpeople he hated most, trapped before him. Terror consumed Zafrina. She couldn't defend herself, or Bay. _It's the end._ She was hopeless, unarmed against Otan. Not even her teeth and nails could protect her now. The only thing she had left was her words.

"Otan, please don't do this! We'll find a way to heal your scars! I'll do anything, I swear!" Zafrina put one hand out, her other on the delirious Bay, who, in his pain, was barely aware of what was going on.

"I'd rather live this way for the rest of my life than let you go free." Snarled Otan, four feet from her. Her heart plunged into a sea of ice, at the sight of joy on his grotesque, monstrous face. "Goodbye, Zafrina." Then he drew back the fish hook, with a cry of victory, preparing to bring it down. Zafrina spun round, and threw her arms over Bay, clinging onto him to try and shield him, but mostly to go out holding onto someone she loved. She closed her eyes, cheek on the silk on his hair, waiting for the hook to do it's work. But it never happened. _Is dying painless? I should feel it..._ But then she heard the voice of an old merman, and she dared to pry open her eyes.

There was a golden light at the end of the tunnel, the sound of the trident summoning it's energy. Then a beam exploded from the end, tearing through the dark, more powerful than anything Zafrina had ever tried to conjure. Otan didn't have time to scream. The beam tore into him, rippling across his skin, tearing every cell it touched apart; for a brief moment Otan rippled with light. But then, with a blinding flash of light, all that remained was black ash. The ash fell like black snow, settling in a pile on the floor. Zafrina's mouth opened, but no words came out. Bay groaned, hearing the sounds, but barely having the strength to open his eyes.

"Wha..." he mumbled, in pain and confusion, twitching. Zafrina distractedly stroked his hair, unable to take her eyes off the figure at the end of tunnel. She blinked away her tears of utter relief as the elderly merman swam forward, the trident in hand. The golden glow faded as Triton moved over the pile of ash that was once Otan; the ash stirred in the current he created, and Zafrina looked briefly at it, not believing that it had once been a merman. _Otan's gone._

Triton looked down at Zafrina and Bay, blinking, his white hair and beard filled with dirt, dried blood. "My granddaughter..." Triton began, in a state of shock, for he was still recovering from being a stone statue for so long. He blinked down at the sight of Zafrina, and the muttering merman she protected. "Are you alright?"

 _Meanwhile_

Melody swiped the sword, and Nia leapt back, missing the attempt, before she slashed in with her own sword. Melody dodged to the right, attempting to slash once more, but the heavy sword dragged her forwards, sending her flying clumsily past Nia. The sword squealed as it struck the rocky wall, making both mermaids flinch. The queen followed, wildly jabbing the blade at Melody, but in her rage, her slashes were sloppy and messy, missing her target by a good few inches each time.

Melody leapt back, beginning to draw Nia away from Finn, because they were fighting dangerously close to his unconscious form. She kept flashing glances at him in hopes of signs that he was coming to, but Finn was still, the only sign of life being the rise and fall of his chest. _Wake up!_ She thought, desperately. She couldn't keep this up for long.

"Someone help me!" Melody screamed, hoping to be heard by an Atlantican or Delorean, but the battle was too far away for her voice to be heard. But she kept crying out for help anyway, because Nia was beginning to focus now, realizing that her anger wasn't helping her win this battle. Her strikes were growing more accurate, closer each time.

Nia brought up her sword, and it came down. Melody threw up her weapon, with a cry of panic. She blocked it, but Nia pushed on her sword, forcing the two crossed blades closer and closer to her face. "Finn!" She pleaded, struggling as she was forced closer to the ground, the blades looming in her face. She looked to the right, straining her neck. He muttered somewhat, but didn't move. A faint cloud of red had gathered over his head, where it had struck the rock.

"He can't rescue you now." Nia sneered, pale grey eyes filled with mocking. "He's as weak as his mother was."

"Merissa was a great mermaid! He told me everything. She was kind, good. That made her strong. And I don't need rescuing!" Melody insisted, trying to push against the weight of the swords and Nia. "I can do this on my own..." _That translates into I_ can't _do this on my own. I need someone to help me!_ She pushed more, before she ducked, shoving with all her strength. The blades skimmed barely inches over her face, before Melody raced away, her sword clutched in hand. Not expecting this sudden move, Nia's sword plunged into the sand floor. With a grunt of frustration, the queen tore it free, before whirling around to face her enemy again.

Melody faced Nia, looking at her sword. Now that she was using it more, it felt less heavy, less awkward. She had a brief moment of clarity. _I can do this. I can..._ Nia's shriek of rage brought her back to the fight. Nia sprang, her sword brought back once more. Melody dodged to the left, and this time, she slashed her sword at the same time. The metal sliced at Nia's arm, just tearing the skin, for Melody didn't want to kill her or do too much damage. Nia hissed, before trying to swing her sword again. Melody, moving like lightning, darted clear, landing another strike as she did, this time on Nia's tail, and then once again on her shoulder.

"You're hardly grazing me!" But Nia was obviously in pain, despite what she claimed. Her eyes were glazed. She rose again, clumsily swinging her weapon, sloppily due to one hand covering her shoulder wound, but after Melody dodged it a few times, she shrugged off the pain. Nia plunged forwards, the sword curving through the air; Melody dived to the side, but the sword didn't miss her torso. It just skimmed the skin across her left ribs, leaving a three inch wound. While it wasn't deep, the wound felt just like fire. Nia's eyes lit up with satisfaction when Melody cried out in pain. Her hand flew to Melody's bracelet: the gold came off easily. Melody gasped, leaping at Nia, and the bracelet flew from the queen's hand. It floated down onto a nearby rock, landing with a gentle 'clank'. Nia lunged, but Melody seized her around the neck, hanging on tight. Nia and Melody tumbled across the sandbed, and in the fray, their swords went flying.

"Get off!" Melody was smothered by sand, face pressed into the seafloor. Nia pushed her over, before throwing herself onto Melody. The older mermaid crushed her with her weight, and Melody threw up her hands, trying to push her away without success. "You're not hurting one more soul!" She gasped, struggling in vain. "I won't let you..." Nia ignored her. With her arm on Melody's neck, her other arm extended toward a fallen sword, out of hope. Melody didn't expect the sword to move, but then both she and Nia stared in bewilderment. The sword _moved._ She had to blink to make sure she wasn't hallucinating, but to her horror, the sword was twitching as Nia tried to summon it more. "No -" Melody began, but Nia's other hand crushed her throat, cutting her off. She thought she heard a noise from where Finn was, but Nia blocked her view of him. Nia tried harder to summon the sword, eyes wide. The sword was slowly dragging itself across the sand; it would falter occasionally, but it was gradually gathering speed. _The serum didn't destroy her magic! At least not all of it..._ _did the magic rebuild itself?_ Melody didn't know why Nia's power was suddenly returning - it wasn't as powerful, but that didn't matter. The sword moved achingly slow, but still. Melody tried and tried, pushing with all her might, digging in her nails, but it was useless. Nia had her trapped.

Finally, the sword was near enough. Nia plucked it up, and immediately pressed the blade to Melody's neck. Melody struggled desperately, on the verge of tears, but when she felt the metal press dangerously hard, she was forced to remain still. Nia grinned, enjoying the look of terror on Melody's face. "Your little plan worked out well, didn't it?" She said, mockingly. Melody clenched her teeth to stop herself from crying.

"Please, let us go!" She begged, trying to see Finn. But Nia blocked her view of him.

"Well, this is it. Any last words?" Nia's powers then took control of the sword. While her hands pinned Melody, the sword moved a few feet above. Since her magic wasn't the same or as powerful, it took a long time for the sword to move into Nia's desired position. The blade waved and rose and fell randomly, but despite this, it was still coming down somewhere in Melody's flesh, either her neck or torso. Melody writhed once more, resisting, but then it dawned upon her. She wasn't getting out of this.

"Not for you." Melody whispered. _I'm sorry, mom, dad._ She tried to think about the good times of her life. She remembered Ariel; her first clear memory was being in her mother's arms, while she sang that song, the one what's lullaby played in her locket. She remembered one of her favourite memories as a toddler, when Eric had taken her down to the seawall, a few months after is had been built. She remembered him putting her down on the sand, where the little bit of seawater came in from underneath the wall. She had been old enough to walk then; he had watched in amusement, as she experienced seawater for the first time. She had felt the tide wash over her little feet, and she had raced away, giggling in happiness. She had chased the tide as it had rushed back, and been unprepared for it to wash back forwards. It had soaked her, but she had loved the feeling. She recalled all those times in her preteens, the first time she had met her merfamily, and Zafrina, who would become her best friend as well as her cousin. She tried once more to see Finn; her heart lurched. _Where is he?_ The sand at the foot of the wall was empty.

"Very well." Nia grinned, and Melody ripped her gaze away from the wall. "Say hello to Merissa for me." The sword steadied. "And once you're dead, I'll hunt down that wretched human mother of yours, and I'll kill Finn too. At least he can see his mother again, since that time." Nia prepared to send the sword into flesh. But then both she and Melody froze. There was a cold voice, and when Melody tried to see Finn, she saw him behind Nia. Finn's eyes were clouded, the pain from the blow to his skull still radiating throughout his head.

"You took my mother from me that day. Do you know how it felt?" Melody didn't see the sword come down into Nia's upper back, but she saw the tears in Finn's eyes, felt Nia go rigid in shock. He didn't want to do it, but he had had no choice. The sword impaled Nia, piercing her through the back. Finn's voice shook with guilt as he pulled out the sword. "It felt like _that."_

Nia tried to breathe, but every breath cut off before it could fill her lungs. Suddenly, she fell off Melody, and the sword she had suspended in the air fell to the ground. Nia lay on the sand, hands tearing at her chest, gasping for breath - the sword hadn't pierced all the way, so there was no wound on her front. However, blood was pouring from underneath her, forming a red fog that enveloped Melody and Nia. Horrified at the sight and smell of the blood, Melody dived away from Nia, crawling backwards as fast as she could. She watched Nia in shock, as the blood continued to cloud, denser and denser. Nia began to shake, like how she had upon being given the purple urchin spine, but this time it was more violent, even more frightening. She suddenly began to shriek uncontrollably, in madness, agony, rage. Her screams echoed off the walls, were heard from the battle, even inside the palace.

In the palace, Triton had freed all the other stone merpeople that had once lined Nia's corridor. Now, the bewildered and confused bunch stiffened at the sound of shrieking echoing off the walls. Triton looked around, trident poised, and Zafrina was distracted from Bay, who was being carried by some of the once-stone merfolk. Zafrina wanted to stay with Bay and her grandfather; but suddenly, she felt a sickening feeling. She realized that something sinister was about to happen, and without warning, she abandoned the party, racing toward the stone entrance, which was ahead. Meanwhile, Nia's soldiers all stopped fighting, knowing who the screams belonged to.

"The queen!" gasped Ontari, and several merpeople from Nia's kingdom headed for the sound, while Atlanticans and Deloreans tore after them, to also see what had happened. In the dip, meanwhile, Melody shrank into Finn's arms, staring upon Nia. Nia crawled across the sand, coughing, spluttering, as if she were about to be sick. She tried to rise, but she only crashed back to the sand, where she continued to shudder as shock set in. On the battlefield, all the merfolk who had been trapped under Nia's spell stopped fighting. They all fell to the ground, shuddering as the magic began to die, and across the sea, all the merfolk Nia had turned to stone over the past months were beginning to melt out of their frozen states.

"Y-you... y-you..." Nia stammered, eyes raking across Melody and Finn. "You _fools!"_ she screeched, and when her shrivelled lips parted opened to state this, Melody and Finn went cold at the sight of the blood rising from her mouth. She choked several times, and one hand clutched her chest. But then her other hand was revealed. It held a large stone. At first, Melody thought she was going to throw the rock at her and Finn. But then she saw the glint of gold and red on the sand before Nia.

"No!" Finn shouted, diving forwards. Too late. Nia brought the rock down onto the bracelet, and the gold collapsed - the red jewel shattered into a thousand fragments and ceased to exist.

A strange thing was happening. Melody's red tail was suddenly thrashing and jerking by itself, and a brutal twisting feeling took hold of it. Melody dropped to the sand like a rock in shallow water, where her tail continued to thrash by itself. Finn whirled around, briefly too shocked to react, but then he rushed to her side, his hands out to catch her head before it hit a rock on the sand. "Melody!" he exclaimed, in horror. On the dip edge, there was a crowd of shocked onlookers - the Atlanticans and Deloreans were looking from the bleeding Nia to the thrashing Melody, while Nia's soldiers were staring at their dying queen. They looked briefly at each other - then they were shoving the Atlanticans and Deloreans out of their way, rushing to escape. Weapons fell to the floor. Ontari, however, drew an arrow, took aim at Finn and Melody. Before the arrow could fly, however, she disappeared under a mass of enemy merfolk, who tore her bow from her hands.

It was just like what had happened a few days before. A brutal crushing sensation spread throughout Melody's chest, and then the water she breathed was rushing into her lungs. But this time, it flooded them, smothering her from the inside. Her tail rippled and split, the fins becoming feet, the scales fading away. Melody tried to release a cry of horror, but her hands flew up to her lips as her lungs screamed for air, water filling her throat. Nia was laughing hysterically, more blood pouring from her mouth. She coughed once more, before she fell to the sand, twitching as her life started to trickle away.

Then Melody's tail was gone. Her legs floundered uselessly, and the Atlanticans and Deloreans surged downwards, Attina at the head of them, screaming one thing. "The surface! The surface!" Attina shrieked. Melody's vision blurred and stung, and voices rang all around her. Through the darkening corners of her vision, she saw Zafrina emerge from the stone palace, heard her cousin's scream of horror. Then dozens of hands had grabbed hold of her, and she was being dragged upwards. The last thing Melody remembered was Finn crying out her name, before she fell into dizzying blackness.


	39. Aftermath

_A few weeks later_

Melody had lost consciousness halfway to the surface, and this was the last thing she remembered before waking up in bed, her white-faced mother and father at her bedside, and the castle staff crowded outside the door. It had taken a few days for her to be swum back to her parents' castle, and she had apparently been unconscious for several days after being returned home. Her muscles had felt sore, as had the wound on her ribcage, which had healed without leaving a scar. The skin around her eyes were grey with fatigue, and she had felt hollow ever since. Her hair was oily and knotted, and her eyes were dull.

She sat quietly on the sand, hugging her knees, feet in the swash. Two parts of her body she now despised more than anything, would trade anything in the entire world for to get a tail in return. Zafrina sat beside her, an arm around her cousin's shoulder. The hand on Zafrina's other arm was grasping Bay's.

All three looked relatively normal - Bay's hair was loose around his shoulders, and there was no pain in his expression, and his sketch book lay on the sand next to him. Zafrina's lips were painted the rich plum colour she loved, and she wore her blue-and-gold shell necklace. Melody was human once more, in a comfortable peach-coloured dress and the locket around her neck, but the feeling was far from normal. There was a sense of misery coming from Melody, and the feeling of uselessness from Zafrina and Bay. All three were watching a barking Max happily wading through the shallow water.

The Old English Sheepdog was older than Melody; she was surprised he had lived this long. His grey patches were almost as white as the rest of his pelt, which was duller, and he was more frail. He was slower and not as lively as he used to be, but the old Max still enjoyed causing havoc throughout the castle, and playing in the sea. He came out of the waves, sitting down next to Melody, his tongue lolling. On a rock, some distance away and not taking part in the conversation, a penguin and a walrus watched.

Zafrina had decided to visit the tundra, bring some of Melody's childhood friends to cheer her up. She had told them the whole story, persuaded them to travel up north for a few days. But the plan to make Melody happier hadn't worked. Tip and Dash had been here for a couple of days, and it barely made a difference to Melody's feelings. She was happy to see them, but her thoughts of Finn dragged her down again.

Tip muttered to himself, while Dash's whiskers drooped in sadness. The two Antarctic animals weren't pleased with the heat - they were used to bitter cold afterall - but they decided to put up with their discomfort until Melody was feeling better. But that didn't seem to be anytime soon. Aside from Max's barking, it had been quiet on the beach for some time, the conversation effectively killed after the mention of Finn.

Finn was apparently doing alright. He was temporarily living with Zafrina and Bay, who had a 'cute little place' next door to Adonis and Alana's home coral. Adonis had since returned from his journey to his native kingdom, and Zafrina had been talking about how well Adonis got on with Bay. Finn and Bay had been accepted into Atlantica when Triton had made a public announcement, speaking of the heroic actions of them and others - Zafrina had insisted, so that they wouldn't be treated with suspicion by residents.

It had probably been just over a month since Nia's demise. Melody hadn't witnessed this for obvious reasons, but the queen's corpse had been unceremoniously thrown into Neptune's Scar, where rocks had been used to cover the body from sight. Otan had been turned to ash by the trident, and the majority of Nia's people had fled, to presumably seek redemption and a better life, where they wouldn't be under the orders of a tyrant.

The very few - less than a dozen - who had remained to fight for Nia's cause had been imprisoned in Delorea, a kingdom that held a good reputation for having 'top-notch security'. Attina and Clay had promised to keep an eye on them, especially Ontari, who was Nia's most loyal asides from Otan. Upon Nia's death, the wall of seathorns had disintegrated, revealing them to be a spell. Every spell had been destroyed upon her demise - on the army's way home, they had been approached by confused merfolk who had once been turned to stone by Nia, or been under her mind-controlling charm.

News of Nia's death had spread like wildfire. Kingdoms had rejoiced - missing merpeople had returned home, welcomed by their loved ones, and all the kingdoms were at peace. Zafrina and Bay had been telling Melody about reunions they'd witnessed - Zafrina herself had been swamped by her sisters, other cousins and aunts. Serenity had disappeared under a sea of her children, and Zoe, the eldest of Zafrina's younger sisters, had kissed her crush - Alex, who had been freed from the spell - upon seeing him. Luckily, it seemed as though he returned these feelings, because Melody had spotted them holding hands on a rock out to sea, Zoe's head upon his shoulder. Now, Zafrina wasn't the only one of the Four Z's to find love.

As sweet as it was, to watch the blossoming romance between Zafrina and Bay, Melody was jealous. Jealous of their tails, but mostly at how they could continue to love each other without a species barrier. Melody could see Finn if she wanted. She knew he wanted desperately to see her, but Melody couldn't bare it. She knew that the moment she saw Finn, she'd burst into tears. "He really wants to see you, Mel..." Zafrina began, looking worriedly at Bay. "He loves you. He asked us to give you this." She then presented a seaflower, a pearly pink, with glossy petals. Melody took the delicate gift - it was so like Finn, the romantic gesture. But she couldn't do it.

"Zafrina. I thought I'd made it clear." Melody closed her eyes. "Just look at me. I can't possibly have a future with him, not like this."

"But surely you can ask Triton to turn you into a mermaid again? Permanently, perhaps?" Bay suggested, but Melody's forehead only sank onto her knees.

"I don't know... I just..." Melody looked up at the sky, eyes glossy with tears. She really wanted to, but thoughts of her parents stopped her. Then, unexpectedly, she rose to her feet, and ran across the sand. "I can't do this. I'm sorry." Melody then disappeared, leaving Zafrina and Bay on the beach. They looked at each other, before Zafrina rested her chin upon her hands, eyes closed. Bay glanced at Tip and Dash across the short stretch of sea between them, shaking his head to show the lack of progress.

Max whined, sensing Melody's unhappiness, before Zafrina began to scratch him fondly behind the ears, and he soon nudged himself between Zafrina and Bay, flopping himself onto the sand, much happier. Bay also stroked the old dog; it was strange for him, since he hadn't been in contact with many dogs over his lifetime, but he was fond of Max. He opened his sketch book, resuming his drawing of the dog, since he didn't have many drawings of land creatures. Max was now sniffing curiously at the scarring on the merman's tail.

Bay's tail had been stubborn, and taken a long time to heal. The scars had sealed properly only a week before - he had been confined to bed for some time, for swimming caused him pain and risked reopening his wounds. Bottles of medicine had been used to persuade the wounds to heal and the infection to shrink away, and now, the scarring was very fresh. He had three tooth marks, each an inch wide and covering a little less than a foot in area, as a permanent reminder of his experience. They would take a while to fade, but Zafrina assured him that she couldn't care less about his scars. The conversation soon began, regarding Melody.

"This is ludicrous. She obviously wants to be a mermaid - what's stopping her?" Zafrina played with a piece of Max's silver and white hair, lost in thought. "It can't be the matter of an heir for the kingdom. Eric has other relatives, and shortly before the trident went missing, I overheard Ariel talking with Adella and Arista. Seth and Jamorian were playing nearby, and Ariel seemed a little broody when Arista let her hold baby Murphy. She was saying how she wanted a son as well as a daughter, so it's not too late for there to be another heir. She's only in her early thirties, afterall... Melody's free to do as she pleases."

"Maybe she's afraid of being turned back into a human, while underwater." Bay suggested, pausing from his drawing. "Or maybe she doesn't want to leave her parents again? I mean, Ariel and Eric were pretty devastated, when your grandfather explained everything. Maybe she doesn't want to hurt their feelings, or she's afraid they'll refuse to let her go."

"But that's silly." Zafrina insisted. "Ariel knows how she feels. I told you, right? _That_ story?" Bay nodded, and the mood lightened.

"It was like an even more magical fairytale." He commented, brightly, and Zafrina smiled before continuing.

"Ariel knows what it's like, to love someone who isn't part of your world, to be stuck somewhere you don't belong. Surely she couldn't forbid Melody from becoming a mermaid again?"

"Maybe it's just a matter of convincing Melody that there's no chance of being turned back into a human, if the change is made permanent? Or maybe all that needs to happen is that she talks to Finn, face-to-face..." Max's ears perked up, and suddenly he looked very happy, barking loudly. Bay and Zafrina glanced at one another, and the latter grinned, rubbing Max's ears.

"I think Max agrees, don't you, boy?" Zafrina wondered if this was really the case, for maybe Max was barking at Scuttle, who had been flying down but changed his mind upon seeing the dog bark at his approach. "Maybe you're right. Seeing Finn could make her realize what she really wants."

While they were talking, Melody had ran a far enough distance. She waded out, sitting herself onto a rock, where she sat, stroking the seaflower's petals. Missing Finn and the ocean wasn't all that was making her miserable. Her nightmares were filled with drowning, with the vision of Nia's blood-filled mouth... what if Finn hadn't awoken? She'd be dead, without a doubt... where would Nia have sent the sword? Her head, throat, heart? _Stop it!_

Melody inhaled the sweet scent of the seaflower, seeking comfort - it was mostly the tang of salt, but there was the underlying floral scent. It was like a mixture between a rose and seaweed. To her dismay, it was hardly comforting, and the seaflower didn't stop the tears. How many times had she cried in the last few weeks? "You're pathetic, Melody." She muttered to herself, sniffing heavily.

"You ain't pathetic, kid." Said a voice. Melody looked up, and saw Tip on the rock, with Dash submerged in the water. The penguin shook his feathers, sending droplets into the air, as he hopped onto the rock. Melody rubbed her eyes, blinking rapidly.

"I think I am." She sighed, and the two animals looked at each other. "By the way... sorry that I've been pretty much ignoring you, the past few days. I just..." Tears flooded to her eyes once again, and she tried to keep it back. Dash wasn't fooled, noticing the signs.

"That's fine, Melody. Just cry it out - you don't have to keep your emotions bottled up in front of us." Dash twitched his whiskers, eyes full of sympathy. Melody hesitated, not wanting to embarrass herself, before realizing that her two Antarctic friends wouldn't think any less of her. There was a pause, before the tears came rushing, spilling down her cheeks. She began crying all sorts of things, about how much she missed Finn, how terrified she was of what would happen, should she become a mermaid.

Tip, in an attempt at comfort, picked up the seaflower, sticking it into Melody's hair. In her state, Melody seized Tip, hugging him with one arm, while Dash - with some difficulty, due to his size - hauled himself onto the rock, allowing Melody to lean on him. Melody continued to weep, and her friends tried to offer words of comfort. Melody was unaware that Finn watched from afar, missing her as much as she missed him. He hesitated, considering approaching - but then he slipped back into the sea, believing that she'd only be more upset if she saw him.


	40. Let her go

Zafrina sat on a boulder, in the city of Atlantica. The palace glittered in the distance, golden, seemingly even brighter since Triton's return. The atmosphere seemed brighter, happier - because, of course, those who were missing were home. She smiled, seeing Zoe with Alex, who offered her a seaflower. Zafrina waved at them, and they waved back before moving on. From here, she could see Alana's little beauty product place, and her mother was inside. Her father, Zaidee and Zelda were with her - the sisters were happily putting some pots of red algae extract on a shelf, while Alana and Adonis murmured to each other, gazing at one another with adoring eyes.

Zafrina watched the world go by, smiling at those she knew when they waved. Everything seemed fine - now that Triton was back, Aquata was relieved of temporary leader duties, meaning she could return to being with her family full-time. Arista and baby Murphy were getting ready to head back to their kingdom, and Andrina and her children had also headed off last week.

All her other aunts were able to spend time with their families without worrying about Triton, who was back to normal, the trident safely in it's stand. Sebastian was out of his fretting mood, and he was already organizing a new musical. All was well in Delorea, according to a letter from Attina - the prisoners from Nia's kingdom were secure, and every kingdom was at peace. But something was missing...

Letters poured in from these kingdoms, sending thanks to the actions of Melody, Finn, Zafrina and Bay, for ending Nia's tyranny. Their names had spread throughout the ocean, evidented when Zafrina's friends in Adonis's kingdom had sent her letters, voicing their awe over the incredible stories, and how she had 'such a cool cousin'. That was the missing piece. Melody.

Bay finished braiding her hair. "We done?" Zafrina asked, feeling him tie the ribbon on the end. Bay handed her two mirrors, so she could see the back view of her hair. Zafrina looked in the reflection of the mirror, one behind her head and the other held before her. "Oh my gosh - when did you get so good at braiding?"

"My mom had very, very long hair." Bay laughed, as Zafrina ran her hand along the braid, unable to stop smiling despite Melody's absence - yet the more she thought about that, the more her smile faded. Bay saw her fading smile in the mirror, and knew exactly what was wrong. "I miss Melody too." He admitted.

"I miss her so much." Zafrina sighed. "Finn does, too."

"Where is he now?" Bay wondered, out loud. "He's so lonely without her." Finn had been so quiet for the last few weeks. Without Melody, he just wasn't the same. He had really been feeling under the weather, and it wasn't just because of Melody. Finn was feeling guilty, over what he had had to do to Nia to save Melody's life. He had been hailed as a hero throughout Atlantica and beyond - acceptance and trust was what he had always craved, and now he had it. Stories were already being told of the four merpeople who had embarked on the heroic journey to save the ocean from Nia's grasp, yet Finn hated how he had gotten there. No matter how evil Nia was, Finn spent most nights muttering 'sorry' in his sleep. Killing was what he hated most.

"I'm not sure where Finn is, but tomorrow, granddaddy's going to visit Ariel and Eric, to discuss Mel's future. Word's spread, over how miserable she is. Tomorrow is the big day, over whether granddaddy's willing to change her again, what Melody wants." Zafrina prayed Triton would; life under the sea just wasn't the same anymore, not without Melody down here. _I'll worry about that tomorrow._ Her eyes moved to Bay's scarred tail, and she traced the scars with her fingertips. Bay winced. "Doesn't hurt, does it?"

"No, it doesn't." Bay's shoulders slumped somewhat, though. "You're sure you don't mind?"

"Bay, I don't care if you've got a scratched tail." Zafrina smiled, resting her palm on the side of his face. His silvery blonde hair drifted in the current. "I care that you're kind, funny, that you care about me like no other merman has. You're as sweet as an otter."

"Don't lie, Zafrina - nothing's cuter than an otter." Bay flashed a mischievous grin. Zafrina rolled her eyes in amusement, before they shared a kiss. Bay wrapped an arm over her, and Zafrina rested her head on his shoulder. Their tail fins intertwined, and Zafrina mischievously considered not telling Bay about the plum-coloured lipstick stain on his lips.

She'd found it. She'd dreamed of love all her life, and now she had it. And there was no way Zafrina was ever going to let that go.

 _Later_

Ariel walked slowly across the sand, which was cool and damp under her bare feet. Water seeped up around her feet with each step, and the sea rushed up over her ankles every few moments before receeding. She held up the hem of her nightdress, to keep it dry, but Max was splashing through the shallows alongside her, so this ended up being a waste of effort. The seabreeze loosened some hair from her loose ponytail, and she tightened the ribbon holding it together.

It was a cool night. On a rock some metres away, in the water, Ariel could hear snoring. She guessed from the large, brownish mound with the patches of black and white on it's belly that Tip and Dash were sleeping on it. The waves were relatively gentle around the coast, although they were more choppy the further out. The moon was a hidden behind the clouds, which marbled the sky. A few stars peered out between the strands of cloud, and there was a white streak of an owl flying in the distance, toward the land.

After leaving Eric asleep in the bedroom, Ariel had looked in on her daughter before leaving for a night walk along the beach. Melody was in her bed, face buried in her pillows, how she usually fell asleep - at least, since her return, it had become her normal sleeping position. Ariel was sure that her daughter was spending every night crying herself to sleep, and seeing Melody this miserable twisted her heart.

Ariel and Eric had been worried after Melody's departure, remembering what had happened last time. But when the majority of her sisters, Sebastian and Flounder had turned up, telling her and Eric that Melody had gone on a dangerous journey, Ariel had been sick with worry. Not only for Melody, but for her father and one of her nieces. How could her sisters keep all this from her? The threat of a seaqueen Ariel had never heard of, how their father had been imprisoned?

They hadn't told her anything so not to worry her, but when Melody had gone missing, the truth had had to come out. For days, weeks, Ariel had barely slept, worrying about her daughter - to make things worse, there was nothing she could do about it. Her father imprisoned, her seventeen-year-old daughter miles away, miles under the sea, and Ariel couldn't do a thing.

After almost a month since Melody's transformation, Ariel and Eric had been walking along the beach, keeping an eye on the sea, in hope that Melody would appear. Just when they'd been about to turn back home, Max had started barking loudly at something. Looking, Ariel had never been so shocked by the sight of Melody. Lying unconscious in a young merman's arms, mouth hanging open, hair a tangled mess around her eerily pale face.

Her body had been dotted with bruises, and there had been a slice through the flesh of her ribcage. Most shocking of all was the fact that her tail wasn't in place. The bracelet that controlled her transformation was no where to be seen, and instead of a tail, her legs had hung over the merman's arms, soaking in the seawater. Her lower body had been draped in seaweed, protecting her lower body's modesty.

Eric had started shouting for help, and the castle staff had come running. Ariel had taken Melody from the merman's arms, shrieking for a nurse. She had calmed down enough to ask what happened, but the young merman wouldn't say a word. An exhausted looking Triton and her sisters had done that task, explaining how Melody had been key in bringing down the tyrant, Nia. In the process, a dying Nia had destroyed the bracelet with a rock, whilst Melody had been under the sea.

After that, Ariel had never left Melody's bedside, and neither had Eric. Even Max had loyally stayed besides them, whining occasionally when Melody didn't move for several days. When her eyes had finally opened after three days, Ariel and Eric had wept tears of relief, and Max had happily licked Melody's face until she was no longer confused and delirious. But Melody had never been the same since, refusing to say why as to why she cried everyday, shutting herself off from the world. Ariel had thought that it was missing the ocean, the fact that she had nearly died. But when one of her nieces had visited her, it became clear why: Melody had fallen in love.

Zafrina had told Ariel more about the journey than her sisters and father had, and she had emphasized how much Melody loved this merman, named 'Finn'. Finn hadn't been the only thing - Zafrina had spoken of Melody's bravery, how well she could handle herself in precarious situations, and how being a mermaid suited her. Ariel knew that Zafrina had done this to stop her from banning Melody from the sea, to allow her to become a mermaid again, if that was what she chose... but then, what _did_ Ariel feel?

She could tell that Melody was definitely in love with this Finn. The tears, and look in her eyes, how she stared at her food but didn't eat it; even if it was a bowl of cherries, which Melody loved. But after all that had happened to Melody in the ocean, could Ariel really let her go, if she chose to become a mermaid again? Melody had almost died in that ocean... several times. _If I stop her I'm being selfish, but if I let her go, can she be safe?_

"Excuse me?" Ariel heard a voice. She glanced about; it was young, male, polite. Yet it was tinged in sadness, misery, as if the voice owner was feeling grief. She then realized that the voice came from below. Ariel glanced downwards, and then she saw a young merman in the water, several feet from her. She blinked, puzzled. "Can I help you?" She asked.

"Are you... Queen Ariel?" He looked familiar. He couldn't have been older than eighteen, and he was olive-skinned, with a darker splotch sitting above one of his cheek bones. Wavy, dark brown hair fell a few inches past his chin, and his sea-green eyes were dark with - almost, mourning. As if he missed someone dearly... _I know you. Of course - you were the merman carrying Melody..._ "Your majesty, my name is -"

"Finnley." Ariel said, before he could say it. His eyes flashed with confusion. "I know who you are. You're the boy my daughter fell in love with, aren't you? And... Ariel is fine."

"Um... yes, that's me. And Finn is fine, too." He looked nervous. "Look, I... I just wanted to know how Melody is. I want to see her, but... I think I'd do more damage than good. She doesn't want to see me." Ariel had only known Finn for a few moments, but she already felt trust. Guilt rested over his shoulders - he felt responsible, for Melody's misery, and Ariel felt a great swell of pity for him.

"That's not true!" Ariel insisted. She knelt on the sand, so that they were almost eye level. "I know how Melody feels. I've been there, loving someone you can't be with." Finn nodded, and a look of pain entered his eyes. That was why he seemed to be grieving - he missed Melody.

"Do you know why she doesn't want to see me?" Finn asked, hopefully. "I think it's because she thinks there's no way she can... be with me. Not as she is, with no way to be a mermaid." Ariel could see how honest he was being. He truly loved Melody; she could see it in his eyes. That romantic, dreamy look everytime Melody's name was said, followed by that longing, that sorrow. When Melody wasn't miserable or in tears, she shared the same look.

"There is a way." Ariel said. Finn blinked, in surprise, and so did Ariel, at her words. But then she realized how the words came easily. She knew how Melody was feeling, and she knew where her daughter wanted to be _. I can let her go._ "My father can make the transformation permanent. If that is what she wants, Melody can live her life as a mermaid."

"You... you're letting her go?" Finn stared.

"Yes, I am." Ariel's eyes found two pebbles in the sand. She plucked up the dainty black one, and the slightly bigger, dark brown one. She held one in each hand, looking at the black one, exposed in her right palm. "I've heard a lot about you, Finn. Zafrina told me everything - the journey, how you saved Melody countless times, how she saved you as well. Who you are and what you're like." Finn shifted slightly, wondering what Zafrina told Ariel. "Don't look so worried." Ariel laughed, at the fearful look on his face.

"I know where Melody wants to be. She wants to be out there, and she won't be happy until she is. She feels alone up here, like how I did in there." Ariel looked into the waves. "She wants to be with you. And I trust you. I know you'll protect her, no matter what." Ariel transferred the black pebble to her left hand, with the dark brown one. She placed both pebbles into Finn's hands, curling his fingers over the two stones. "She wants to be part of your world. And in my heart, I know that she'll be safe with you."


	41. Now and forever

"Wake up!" Finn heard Zafrina's voice, loud above him. He muttered, and covered his head with the pillow, rolling so that he faced away from Zafrina.

"Go away. It's early." He muttered. Finn had obviously fallen asleep late, after talking to Ariel. He hadn't intended to talk to her at all - he'd been hoping for a glimpse of Melody, the chance to talk to her. But when he'd seen the human walking along the sand, he'd known that it was Melody's mother. Few humans were the spitting image of Melody, with the long red hair that so many merfolk spoke of. He had to talk to Ariel, know how Melody was, that Ariel would be willing to let her go. Their conversation went round and round in his head.

"Early? It's the afternoon! You missed something unbelievable!" Bay shook him. Muttering in confusion, Finn sat up, rubbing his tired eyes.

"What?" He winced when Zafrina threw a heavy bag on his bed, squashing his tail fins to wake him up. "What's going -"

"Grandaddy's made an agreement with Ariel and Eric! They're on a beach right now, discussing Mel's future!" Zafrina beamed. "Do you know what this means, Finn?" He stared from Zafrina to Bay, blank. Bay rolled his eyes, before shaking Finn.

"Let's just say it looks like you and Melody have a future after all!"

 _Later_

Melody sat on the edge of her balcony wall, legs hanging downwards. She rested her chin on her hands, gazing out to sea. The sunset sky was clear, not a cloud on it. It was a soft golden, ranging from liquid amber to a soft cream, while the horizon was darkening to a rosy pink. The eastern sky had a blue tint, showing that night was on it's way. In the west, the sun was beginning to sink, spilling rose-gold light across the coast.

Beautiful evenings had been rare since Melody had become human again. Maybe they had been, but she had been too miserable to notice. Despite her misery, why did she get the impression that she'd remember this evening for the rest of her life? She'd seen many beautiful sunsets and sunrises in her life, but none seemed as memorable as this one.

The day had been empty. Melody had had a sleepless night, finally falling asleep in the morning, and waking in the late afternoon. She wondered why at some point earlier as to why Ariel and Eric hadn't barged in, telling her to get up because of how late it was. Padding barefoot throughout the castle, in her nightclothes, Melody hadn't found either of her parents. Grimsby said that her parents were in the kingdom village, while Carlotta had said that they had gone for a forest walk. Everyone seemed to say different stories, but there was a lot of smiling and whispering going on.

With Ariel and Eric no where to be found, Melody had spent some time swimming and walking along the beach, yet, curiously, there was no sign of merpeople. Tip and Dash hadn't managed to shed any light on the matter - or so they said. They kept looking at each other and into the distance, as though expecting someone. She looked across the rocks, but didn't spot them. They were probably swimming somewhere.

After her swim, Melody had crept into the kitchen to steal one of the lemon tarts Louis made, as well as a piece of meat for Max. The licked-clean plate lay on the floor next to the Old English Sheepdog, who snoozed deeply on the balcony floor. She glanced at the last remaining piece of lemon tart in her hand, before eating it, the tang and sweetness briefly making her feel less down.

Lemon tarts and cherries were probably her favourite land foods; but she did miss the range of sea foods Zafrina had introduced her to. Zafrina and Bay had often brought her some underwater foods to cheer her up, in the last few weeks. They hadn't been around at all, today, and Melody couldn't figure out why. Her heart ached as she gazed into the sea-green water, only reminded of Finn's eyes. _I love you. But if I see you, I'll only realize how I can't be with you..._

"Melody!" There was a great squawking above, making her jolt. Melody looked up, seeing a white and grey bundle of feathers. Scuttle was flying at her, squawking around the piece of paper in his beak. Melody blinked as the seagull landed on the wall. "Kid, you are going to be thrilled! I'm not allowed to say anything, but all I can say is read this!" Scuttle dropped the piece of paper, and Melody stared at him, confused. "The ocean's buzzing with the news, I'll see you later!" Squawking, Scuttle then leapt back into flight, shooting toward the sea.

"What news?" Melody shouted, but Scuttle was already out of earshot. "That seagull, huh Max?" She glanced down at him, but he slept on, snoring slightly. She examined the paper Scuttle brought; it was crumpled, from being in his beak and being beaten by wind as he'd flown. Smoothing the creases with her fingertips, Melody unfolded the paper, beginning to read the neat writing.

 _My darling Melody,_

 _I suppose you've been wondering where your father and I have been all day, along with Zafrina, Bay and the other merfolk who are usually around. We've been talking for a long time, with your grandfather and aunts, and after reaching a decision, Triton instructed all merfolk to stay away from the castle, so to keep the surprise. Everyone knows but you._

 _I know these past few weeks have been hard for you. I know exactly how you feel - you don't belong in this world. You miss the one you love, and he misses you. I've certainly been there, and it breaks my heart to think that you're experiencing what I once felt._

 _I'm not sure why you're refusing to see Finn, or why you haven't asked to become a mermaid permanently. I personally think that you're afraid of hurting your father and I, but I can assure you that we won't be offended. You'll always be our little girl, and your happiness is all we care about. Don't worry about what we feel - this is your life. If being a mermaid is what makes you happy, we're happy as well._

 _If being with Finn, as a mermaid, is what you really want, come to Ariel's Cove as soon as you receive this letter. And if that is your choice, know that we love you very much, and that we want you to be happy. Love mom._

As soon as she read the last sentence, Melody didn't think. The letter fell to the floor, and then she had clambered down the climbing plant. Her feet struck the sand as she raced along the beach, one destination in mind. This was it. Her heart thudded in her chest, and her eyes burned as the wind whipped her face, but she didn't care.

She didn't know why she had waited a month. Perhaps Ariel was right. She had been so worried about hurting them, she'd hesitated in embracing what she really wanted. Seeing Finn would have reminded her of the pain, of being trapped on land, but now she knew she could see him without feeling that.

"Going so fast?" Melody skidded to a halt, before whirling around. The warm voice had come from Eric. Her father was standing there, with her mother at his side. Ariel was wearing her blue dress, her red hair loose, and Melody scanned their faces, searching for signs of sorrow, fear - but there was none. _Leaving won't hurt them... why didn't I just ask?_ Melody had no idea what to say to them, but then she just said the first thing that came to mind - nothing too complex.

"I love you both, so much." Melody held Ariel and Eric's hands, unable to stop smiling. "You don't mind? Really?"

"Honey..." Ariel glanced at Eric. "Of course we don't mind. This is your life, your choice. Just remember to visit us, that's all we ask in return!"

"Oh, I will! I'll visit everyday, I will!" Melody threw her arms around the both of her parents, and for a moment, the family embraced, all human for the last time. Finally, her parents pulled back.

"Now, go on!" Eric encouraged, his light blue eyes filled with love and encouragement. "Go find him, tell him!" Melody smiled at them both, holding their hands for a last moment, before letting go. She then went on her way, running down the beach. Ariel looked at Eric, taking his hand.

"We'll wait another time to tell her I'm pregnant again." Ariel murmured, her hand moving to her stomach. Eric laughed, also placing a hand on her stomach.

"She's going to be thrilled, Ariel." He promised. Ariel looked after her daughter, who would eventually become her eldest. She smiled.

"I think she will, too." Ariel knew that Melody would. Not only that, but she'd be alright. For once, she didn't worry about Melody - her daughter could handle herself. The ocean wasn't dangerous anymore. The two walked down the beach, hand-in-hand, headed back toward the castle. Ariel glanced over her shoulder, looking at Melody one more time, watching her black hair flying out behind her. _I'm so proud of you, my darling. Take care of yourself._

 _Ariel's Cove_

Until seventeen to eighteen years ago, Ariel's Cove hadn't had a name. Named after the mermaid who had been transformed into a human right upon it's very beach, Eric had named it in honour of Ariel as a wedding gift to her. Melody skidded to a halt upon the golden sand, which was warm from the setting sun. She looked around, searching for a sign of someone she knew - she didn't see anyone, although in the sea, her merfamily secretly watched with excitation.

The sun had almost disappeared by now - the sky was darkening, the little shards of ice that were stars beginning to glow against the deepening blue. The rising white of the moon was full, bright and gradually turning the earth silver instead of gold. Melody padded across the sand, approaching the gentle waves, which lapped invitingly up the beach. She looked around, puzzled. "Hello?" She called, nervously. "Is... anyone here?"

The shallows were seemingly empty - it was a wondrous, glittering blue, with a teal tint. Melody looked at her bare feet, before she placed a foot into the water. It was warm, almost like a bath. "Melody!" Exclaimed a voice, and she whipped round, knowing that voice like the back of her hand. For the first time in almost a month, she saw Finn.

Finn surfaced in the water, a few feet from her, a look of joy plastered over his face. He was exactly as she remembered - the tattoos on his upper arms, olive skinned with the birthmark on his cheek, and the sea-green eyes she had fallen in love with. His dark brown hair was dripping from seawater, still carrying a wave despite being weighed down by water. Melody waited for the tears of sorrow, but instead, all she felt was joy. She blinked rapidly, lips parted in a smile, as she ran into the waves, calling his name.

Finn reached her when she was in waist-high water. Melody threw her arms around him, and Finn embraced her back, his heart thudding with happiness, love. "I'm so sorry I ignored you!" She exclaimed, the tears of happiness and regret spilling down her cheeks. "I missed you, but I was so afraid of how I'd feel and I'd..." Melody began stammering, unable to control herself.

"Melody, Melody..." Finn stroked her hair, unable to take his eyes off her. He'd missed Melody so much, almost as if he had been swimming without a tail. She was just as beautiful as he remembered - the ivory skin, the voluminous, raven hair. Those ocean-blue eyes, framed by the sooty eyelashes that made his heart flutter. He loved her so much - everything about her, he loved. He could be himself around her, not have to worry about anything. For almost a month, he had felt so guilty, for killing Nia. But as he reminded himself who he had done it for, Finn didn't feel so hollow inside. _Melody's a girl worth fighting for - worth killing for. Nia's gone, and she's not going to to trouble us again._ "Do you honestly think I could be angry at you?"

Melody laughed, pulling out of the embrace. She rose her palm, resting it on the edge of his face, sweeping her thumb over the birthmark. Finn covered her hand with his own, giving her an adoring smile. "Melody..." His smile faded. "I don't know whether you're just here to tell me you're staying human or, but... I just want you to know that -"

"Finn." Melody placed her other hand on his face. "I choose the ocean. I choose _you."_ There was a moment of silence - but then, in the distance, there was a scream of happiness.

 _"Yes!_ Yes, I knew it! I knew it, I knew -" Zafrina's mouth snapped shut the moment Finn and Melody turned to look. Melody rose her eyebrows, with a playful smile. Zafrina grinned, blushing from the rock she sat on; they were supposed to look on without being noticed. Bay, who sat next to Zafrina, tried not to laugh, but failed completely. He clutched his stomach, laughing at the looks on Finn and Melody's faces. Zafrina elbowed him, embarrassed.

"Just carry on, pretend we're not here!" Bay gave a thumbs-up, looking at Zafrina with a laugh of amusement.

"Bay, you have lipstick on your lips." Melody grinned, identifying the plum colour of Zafrina's lipstick, probably from where she'd kissed him. Zafrina giggled as Bay gave her an annoyed look, complaining that she'd promised to tell him about such things. Rolling her eyes, Melody turned her attention back to Finn.

"You're choosing to be a mermaid?" Finn asked, in a barely audible voice. Melody nodded.

"I am. My parents want me to be happy. And this choice will make me just that." Under the water, she took his hands. Finn and Melody gazed into each other's eyes, briefly unsure as to what to do. Zafrina, losing patience, interrupted from where she sat.

"Grandaddy needs the signal to know whether to make the change!" She reminded Finn. She looked toward some distant rocks, which Melody guessed was where Triton looked on. Finn laughed, looking nervously at Melody, running a hand through her hair.

"What are you waiting for? Kiss her, you brilliant fool!" Bay shouted, behind them. Finn went to kiss Melody, but she moved faster. She gave Finn a firm kiss, for the first time in weeks.

That was it. Melody was then pulled away from Finn, not by current, but by magic. The golden light spilled across the surface, swirling around Melody, lifting her from the water - the last thing she felt with her feet was the sandbed, and a few pebbles. The light enveloped her, and Finn shielded his eyes from it's brilliance, squinting to see what was happening to Melody.

Her legs drew together, thickening and merging. The ivory skin disappeared, replaced by rows of glossy red scales, and her feet turned into two fins. Her nightclothes melted away, revealing a glittering set of peach-coloured seashells that fitted her even better than the ones she had worn before, the ones she had borrowed off Zoe. This time, there was no bracelet on her wrist, no fear of being turned back into a human. This time, there was no chance of that happening, ever again.

The light faded away, and Melody knew that it was time to go - the transformation was complete. She leapt, diving into the sea with a cry of joy. The water rushed over her, and she drew in a breath - the water rushed in, and this time, it didn't suffocate her from the inside. It felt so good, fresh and clean, the best thing she had ever felt. Melody swam like a marlin, so fast Finn could barely catch up, but then she whirled around, wrapping her arms around Finn and twirling him. "Look at me! I'm -"

"-beautiful!" Zafrina's voice sang behind them, and Melody broke away from Finn, weaving around Zafrina and Bay, barely able to contain her joy. The voices of her other merfamily grew louder, and in the distance, she saw them swimming their way - her aunts, cousins, grandfather. Sebastian, Flounder, and all her other sea friends, who had secretly gathered to watch. Zafrina and Bay headed for them, calling for Melody and Finn to follow. Finn took her hand, and together, they swam to meet the rushing crowd. In the wonderful night that followed, never did Melody let go of Finn's hand.

She was with Finn - and he was with her. He loved her, and as long as she had him, her family and friends by her side, she was happy. She was a mermaid once more - and she was truly happy. _I should have always been a mermaid. And now I am - now and forever._

 ** _That's a wrap, guys! Thank you for being so supportive, and sticking with me for all the way through! The views are incredible, and I'm thrilled that this story has been a success. It's been so fun, and I'm glad you've all enjoyed it. Okay, I love you guys - until next time, bye!_**


	42. Sequel notice!

_**Hey guys! If you're interested, I've just started the sequel: it's currently called Dark Oceans, although it may change if I think of something cooler. In it, tragedy drives Melody and the group to go on a perilous journey in order to destroy an artefact with devastating capabilities, as it and they are being hunted by dark creatures who seek it for sinister gain that could impact the entire world under the sea.**_

 _ **Thank you for your support!**_


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